Black Prom
by Mistress of Horror 1999
Summary: As if on cue, the music jolted to a stop. The lights above shattered. A sharp, ear-splitting shriek pierced throughout the gym. All eyes were on her... Bubbles! The prom queen covered in blood. Her body began to tremble. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Lightning flashed from the windows. She concentrated real hard... and the doors slammed shut, trapping everyone! R
1. The Girl No One Likes

**Chapter One: The Girl No One Likes **

_(Townsville Police Station, JUNE 16—1999)_

_**Interview with Buttercup J. Utonium by Detective Seeley, regarding the case of "Prom Night." This is an audio transcript of the interview. **_

_**No edits have been made. **_

**Seeley: **Is _Buttercup Jasmine Utonium_ your full name?

**Buttercup: **Yes. And I don't understand _why _I need to be here—

**Seeley: **Your sisters are Blossom and Bubbles Utonium, correct?

**Buttercup: **Yes.

**Seeley: **Aren't you currently involved in a relationship with Butch Cameron Jojo?

**Buttercup: **…..

**Seeley: **Buttercup?

**Buttercup: **As in…_romance? _I guess. He just took me to prom.

**Seeley: **Do you know his brothers?

**Buttercup: **Yeah. Brick and Boomer.

**Seeley: **[_satisfied tone_] Excellent. Now, let's get to the _real _questions.

**Buttercup: **…..

**Seeley: **What time did you arrive to the prom at Pokey Oaks High School?

**Buttercup: **I arrived 7:45.

**Seeley: **Who was with you at that moment?

**Buttercup: **It was just me and Butch. We met up with Robin and Mike as soon as we got there. Then we met…nothing. Never mind.

**Seeley: **Bubbles and Boomer?

**Buttercup: **Yeah, okay.

**Seeley: **What did you do before…_it_ started?

**Buttercup: **_It? _You mean the terrible joke that wasplayed on Bubbles?

**Seeley: **Miss Utonium, calm down.

**Buttercup: **[_angry tone_]_CALM DOWN? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? _

**Seeley:** …..

**Buttercup: **Look, you don't understand. What they did to Bubbles was _brutal_. I'll never forget about it…

**Seeley: **Buttercup…

**Buttercup: **[_sighs_] Fine. I'll tell you what happened.

**Seeley: **Now we're getting somewhere.

**Buttercup: **[_sad tone_] We were just kids. Bubbles, especially. We were just…_kids_. Please remember that.

_**(Pokey Oaks High School, May 23—1999. Second Period, Gym Class) **_

"UGH! Bubbles! _You stupid bitch!_" Princess Morbucks shouted. With blistering fury, her hand slapped Bubbles on the back of her head. A grunt escaped from the blonde girl. At that, the others giggled, scoffed, or just simply walked away; they just _hated _her stupidity. The Utonium bitch just cost them the soccer game. She kept falling over the goddamn ball! How stupid! Bubbles looked down at her feet—old worn out white and blue sneakers. Her long, strawberry-blonde hair struck around her face. She wept quietly and followed the other girls to the locker room. Across the field, Buttercup and Blossom exchanged glances of sorrow and walked behind their little sister.

Princess Morbucks opened her gym locker and started undressing. She pulled the white t-shirt over her head to bare her bra of the same color. "Stupid dipshit whore!" she spat. Her friend, Alexis McKinley, laughed. "Look on the bright side, Princess," she grinned. "At least _we _have had our vaccinations!" On cue, they all laughed. They stopped and turned their heads towards the door as the Utonium sisters walked in. Bubbles was short, compared to the rest of them.

So short, and that was one of the many reasons that that everyone teased her.

But there was another prime reason: her _breasts_.

Bubbles, at age 14, had big perky bosoms; she was more developed than the other girls—who were between the ages of 15-17. (When everyone was still in their training bras, Bubbles was fitting in to a C cup bra already.) Princess was definitely jealous. Already 17 and she was only a 32A. Alexis hated Bubbles' boobs, too. (Alexis was flatter than a washboard!) Sometimes Princess would gather the girls around after Bubbles stepped out of the shower, and they'd throw their underwear and bras at her. Buttercup would intervene and demand that they stop—and they would. Blossom would stand by and take pity on her sister.

Ten minutes later, Bubbles was finally finished with her shower. She grabbed a towel and started to dry off when she noticed the girls giggling.

"Huh?" They kept giggling. Some giggles turned into laughs. "What is it?"

Princess Morbucks smirked evilly and chuckled. Alexis made pig noises and gestured towards Bubbles. "What's s-so f-funny?" Bubbles stuttered, fearing the worst. And she was right. Robin Schneider's eyes widened and she pointed towards Bubbles' leg. Everyone was now laughing.

Bubbles looked down at her leg. "Oh…my period." The amount of blood was small. It oozed down like raindrops on a window. A cramp suddenly struck Bubbles' lower back. _How embarrassing_, she thought.

Laughs were bouncing off of every corner of the walls. Bubbles covered her ears. Princess edged towards her. "What's wrong, _Boobles?_ Can't clean up?"

Bubbles removed her hands off of her ears. "N-No. It's not l-like that—!"

"BUBBLES GOT HER PERIOD!" Princess squealed in laughter. Alexis slapped her leg and was hunched over, laughing her heart out. Robin found herself chuckling at the sight of Bubbles with her period. She look so…so…_awkward_.

"PERIOD!" Princess chanted. "Oh no," Robin said sarcastically. "Call 911!"

The girls were laughing—and pointing—edging closer towards the frightened fourteen-year-old girl. Bubbles began to sob. "No! I'm not dirty!"

Robin reached into her locker and pulled out a small box of tampons. She couldn't stop laughing. She threw the box; it hit Bubbles in the head. "Oh!" Bubbles grunted. "C'mon you whore!" Alexis spat. "Shove it up there!"

Bubbles' face was red with embarrassment and sadness. Tears streamed down her face and she gritted her teeth. "Stop! PLEASE! STOP! Please—"

Bubbles lost her balance and fell over onto the floor. Princess threw a towel at her. "Cover up! You're _sick!_" Bubbles cried harder. Without thinking, she grabbed Princess's ankle and looked up at her. "HELP ME! MAKE THEM STOP!"

Princess, with her other foot, kicked Bubbles away. She turned back towards the rest. "Anybody got another tampon? I'll think _Boobles _needs about twenty of 'em! C'mon! Hand 'em to me!" Someone passed another box up. Princess took one out and dangled it in front of Bubbles' face. "See this, bitch? See it? It goes up _there!_"

Bubbles felt blistering rage. All these mixed emotions took over her mind. She covered her ears once again and sobbed harder than she ever had. Out of the corner of her right eye, she saw—

_Buttercup and Blossom laughing at her! _

What? No! No! It can't be. Bubbles fell onto her stomach, scrambling to get away. But she was cornered. She—

"SHOVE IT, BITCH!" Princess cackled. "YOU PUT IT UP—"

She snapped. Her blue eyes went wide and the pupils shrunk.

"_I KNOW WHERE IT GOES!" _

Bam! It was like her mind—_grew. _She felt energy surging throughout her brain. Some lockers slammed open while others closed on their own. Shrieks emerged out in surprise. Some girls collapsed as if they'd been hit. Alexis hit the locker as if someone pushed her. Princess stumbled back. Robin felt a long chill go up her body. Blossom and Buttercup stood still in horror. They couldn't believe it.

Bubbles had—had—she—

"BUBBLES!" It was Ms. Keane, the gym teacher. "Oh, Bubbles! Are you alright?" She threw her arms over the naked frightened teenager. "It's all right. I promise."

The locker room was quiet to where you could hear a bobby-pin drop. Bubbles' sobs were the only sounds that filled the room. "Ms. Keane—?"

"Shhh! It's okay, Bubbles. I promise!"

Some girls began to scurry out—fearing they would be in trouble. Robin backed away slowly. Blossom just stood next to Buttercup. The two were sick of themselves. Why had they laughed? Especially at _that _moment? Bubbles had gotten her first period at age 12, they were completely aware of that. But their little sister had never bothered to keep track of it. Why—?

_CRACK!_ One of the mirrors at the sinks cracked and glass fell.

"You two!" Ms. Keane's finger pointed at them. "Get Bubbles some clothes and a towel! Now!" Buttercup nodded and Blossom scrambled to find a towel.

Bubbles wiped away a few tears. "I didn't know it was the time—" A sob choked off the last of her sentence. Ms. Keane nodded. "I understand. Shhh."

Her hysteria began to calm down and she looked over at the mirror that had cracked. _How is that possible? _she thought. _Did I do that? _

The last of her tears fell. Ms. Keane's arms were still around her. Blossom handed them a towel and Buttercup crouched down. "Hey, kid," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh at you. We just…you know…got caught in the moment."

"I f-forgive you, B-Buttercup…" Bubbles whispered.

Blossom scratched at her arm nervously. "I…I'm sorry, too."

Bubbles nodded slowly. Ms. Keane helped her up and guided her towards the exit. "Just put on some clothes and come with me to the office," Ms. Keane told her. "Blossom? Buttercup?" The two looked at their teacher. "Yeah?"

"You come as well. I think Principal Eisenhower would like to hear what happened. She'd get a real _laugh_ out of it," Ms. Keane said heartlessly with sarcasm. The sisters nodded but didn't make eye contact. Ms. Keane looked back at Bubbles. "Sweetie, can you give me names, later?"

Bubbles looked away and murmured, "Sure."

Ms. Keane escorted the ginger and brunette out of the locker room, leaving Bubbles to change.

As she began to leave herself, Bubbles look back at the lockers. She concentrated real hard. _Open. Open. Open. Open. OPEN! NOW—! _

With a hurried _BANG! _they all slammed open with a breeze. Bubbles gasped and thought to herself, _I did that. It was ME._

She ran out the locker room and found herself in the arms of Ms. Keane again.

**How was that? I'm gonna make this story about twenty chapters long. It will include and bunch of drama—and a little romance. It's mostly gonna be horror, too. Just give me your review! Yes, this was inspired by Stephen King's first novel **_**Carrie**_**. But for those of you who haven't read it or seen the movie, you…REALLY should get to know that plot. It's an amazing story. So anyway, if I offended any Stephen King fan, I'm SORRY! But I just really wanted to do this! THANKS! REVIEW!**


	2. The Punishment

**Chapter Two: The Punishment**

_(Townsville Courthouse, Testimony Session—June 18, 1999)_

_**Interview with Butch Cameron Jojo. 11:35 AM.*Interviewed by City Representative, Harold Carson. Filmed with a handheld video camera in front of a live courthouse audience. **_

**Carson: **State your full name and purpose, please.

**Butch: **Butch Cameron Jojo. "Prom Night" testimony.

**Carson: **Thank you, Mr. Jojo. You may take the stand.

**Butch: **[_whisper_]….thanks, I guess….

**Carson: **[_pulls out a file folder with pictures and holds it up_] Do you know what these are, Mr. Jojo? They're the rescued pictures we saved from _that night_. Can you identify what's in these pictures, please?

**Butch: **[_looking at the first picture_] This is Buttercup and I, Robin took the picture with her camera. [_looks at the second picture_] This is….my brother. Boomer.

**Carson: **[_firm and questionable tone_] What, or _who else_, is in that picture, Mr. Jojo?

**Butch: **….his date…Bubbles Utonium.

**Carson: **…and do you know her whereabouts to this day?

**Butch: **[_confused and angry_] Excuse me?

**Carson: **[_calm tone_] I'm not saying it's _your fault_...or cause…but do you know where Miss Utonium is?

**Butch: **[_angry and careless tone_] Uh, dead?

_(There are murmurs and whispers from the audience. The judge bangs his gavel and orders silence. Butch stands up, demanding to answer "simple" questions. He is ordered to sit.)_

**Carson: **Mr. Jojo, are you aware that Miss Bubbles Utonium was bullied by her classmates?

**Butch: **…well, yeah. Buttercup mentioned it, about once or twice.

**Carson: **…on February 13 of this same year, didn't your friend, Mitch Mitchelson, take a photo of Miss Utonium's…_chest_…with his camera as a joke?

**Butch: **[_sighs_] Yeah, but I took no part in that. Mitch was a football player—a jock. He went out with Robin for a while; she left him for Mike. Mitch acted…_childish _most of the time. But when it came to _girls_…he sort of flew off the wall like he was Hugh Heffner. [_chuckles_] Oh, Mitch…silly old Mitch. He picked on Bubbles because she was quiet…and he thought she was defenseless and stupid….of course, after Prom Night…we…

**Carson: **Yes? Like _what? _

**Butch:** …..we learned that Bubbles was possibly stronger than anything else in the world.

_**(Same day *May 23, 1999*. Principal Eisenhower's office.)**_

The lady at the desk was usually known as "that strict, uptight bitch" to many of the students and jocks at the school. But when Bubbles walked in, that lady—Principal Eisenhower—became as sympathetic as an angel. Ms. Keane placed a hand on Bubbles' shoulder.

"Miss Eisenhower, Miss Utonium here needs to go home," Ms. Keane said politely. "There was an incident in the locker room a few moments ago. It might do her some good to go home."

Eisenhower nodded. "Very well…and what about Blossom and Buttercup?"

"Her…sisters, uh…are _witnesses_…."

"Okay. And what exactly happened, might I ask?" Eisenhower handed Bubbles a dismissal slip. Bubbles took the slip with her shaky hand, and nodded slowly. Ms. Keane sighed. "Well, it's best if I tell you…after Bubbles has gone home…"

"Alright then…I'll guess we'll see you on Monday, Britney—"

"_THAT'S NOT MY NAME!" _

Everyone in the room flinched and Miss Eisenhower's computer suddenly sparked and exploded. Ms. Keane squealed and Miss Eisenhower clutched a hand to her chest. "My word…"

Bubbles gritted her teeth. "Whatever…I'm going home now…."

She walked out the door like a lion on the prowl. Everyone just stood there is silence. Miss Eisenhower—slowly—pulled up three chairs and Ms. Keane took a seat with the Utonium sisters. The principal stood in front of them with her arms crossed. "I don't know _why _or _how _my computer just exploded—but that's not the case. _What _happened in the locker room?"

Blossom cleared her throat. "Well, uh, we were showering because we just had a soccer match….they were giving Bubbles a hard time…as usual."

Eisenhower nodded. "Continue."

Buttercup's fingers twined together, nervously. "Bubbles stepped out of the shower…and they saw the blood running down her leg…you see…she was on her period—it just started today—and since she never keeps track of it…."

Eisenhower nodded. "I know how she feels. When I was eleven, I got my first period. My older sister was already fourteen and she didn't have hers yet….so what did the girls do?"

"Well," Blossom started, "they laughed—like they always do." She looked down at the floor and bit her lower lip. "Princess was the ringleader. And there was also Alexis McKinley…and Robin Schneider threw a box of tampons that hit Bubbles in the head…"

"Robin Schneider? _The honor student?_" Eisenhower shook her head. "I don't believe it."

"It's true," Buttercup shouted. "_She threw a box of goddamn tampons at my sister's head!_"

Buttercup stood up and Blossom whispered for her to sit back down. Buttercup shook her head. "You can't always think that the honor students are a bunch of _sweethearts _and all this crap! It's frickin' ridiculous!" Eisenhower put her hands up in defense. "Very well, give me names."

"Alexis McKinley, Princess Morbucks, Robin Schneider, Kayley Carr, Heather Cooper, Dana Phyllis and her sister Ramona, and Georgia Johnson," Blossom said in one breath.

Bubbles walked down the street with her backpack strapped across one shoulder. She was no longer crying—she had no tears left from today. Wearing old jaded sneakers, torn blue jeans, and a tight light blue blouse, Bubbles walked down Providence Street. She passed the cherry blossom trees—the small park and playground—that she remembered from when she was younger. The sun was high in the sky; birds chirped; some kids played in the distance; a man was walking his Labrador; a squirrel scurried across the sidewalk and climbed up a tree—

A car was driving towards Bubbles. An old vintage 1987 Ford—and Snake was driving it.

The loud rock music blared from it:

_I wish that I had Jessie's girl!_

_I wish that I had Jessie's girl!_

_Why can't I find a woman like that?_

Bubbles heard it, and she turned around. Now and then she'd had run-ins with Ace's gang. Mostly it was either Grubber or Big Billy, but today it was Snake. Snake—the slick eighteen-year-old high school drop-out who was dumber than a sack of hammers. Bubbles watched as his car swerved a few feet in front of her—she gasped—and Snake quickly pressed on the brakes. There was a _SCREECH _and Bubbles watched his gestures.

"Hey, my big-breasted underage broad…how's it goin'?"

_Ignore him_, she told herself. _He'll go away. He doesn't have the nerve—_

"You goin' to Todd's next Friday? Or are you goin' to that stinky dumb prom at Pokey Oaks High?" Snake laughed. "Oh wait….you're too _stupid _to even get a _date!_"

"Go away, you fucker!" Bubbles had barely ever cursed.

"Tough shit, you little bitch. Go suck off a cow!" he responded.

The car skidded in reverse and Snake gave her The Finger. Bubbles' eyes widened and she watched the car speed away. It hadn't gotten far when she thought—

_THAT DUMB BASTARD, SLAM HIS CAR! SLAM HIS CAR! SLAM IT HARD!_

Her mind expanded again and the car jerked sideways all of the sudden. A tire blew out and Snake cursed. The Ford skidded across the road and slammed to a stop. Snake's head banged against the wheel—almost knocking him out! He clutched his face, cursing even more. His nose was bleeding. Bubbles smiled. She had done it. _Again_.

The girls from Second Period were called to the gym.

Ms. Keane stood in the front with her clipboard. The whistle around her neck…she stood 5"9, short black hair, and her orange and white gym shorts. She walked like a drill sergeant and tapped her fingers on the clipboard.

"All of you!" she snapped loudly. "Get quiet!"

The girls stopped whispering and stood still with their belongings. Princess popped her gum and Ms. Keane gave her a death glare. "Morbucks. Spit out that gum!"

Princess smiled coyly and said with a sarcastic tone, "Where shall I put it, Ms. Keane?"

The gym teacher got up into her face. "You can _choke _on it, for all I care, Princess. Just get it out of your mouth!" Princess took her gum and put it back in the wrapper, she rolled her eyes.

Blossom and Buttercup stood behind Ms. Keane, trying not to make eye contact with the girls.

"Now, I assume you all are aware of why I called you back here," Ms. Keane said. "It's about what you did last period—and speaking of _periods_—you bullied Bubbles Utonium to a certain level. I don't tolerate _shit _like that!" The girls froze; Ms. Keane had never cursed before.

Princess tapped her foot impatiently. "Is this gonna take long, Keane? I'm meeting Ace for lunch, so—" Ms. Keane shot her another glare. "Shut up, Princess. You have no right to speak!"

Morbucks crossed her arms. "You _can't _talk to me like _that_, you bitch—!"

_SMACK! _It happened within the blink of an eye. Ms. Keane slapped Princess across the face. It left a light red palm print. Princess busted into a dramatic rage.

"YOU CAN'T HIT ME LIKE THAT! SEE IF YOU DON'T GET CANNED FOR THIS!"

Ms. Keane blew her whistle. "Enough!"

Silence came again.

"You all think you're a piece of work, don't you?" Ms. Keane made a snide grin. "Making fun of someone for having her period, eh? Now, Bubbles Utonium is familiar with…_the menstrual cycle._ She just hadn't kept track of it. I also want to know…ah! Robin, could you step up, please?"

Robin Schneider, in her jean shorts and white tank top with sandals, stepped up.

Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Guilt was all over her face. Morbucks looked over to Alexis and smirked with victory. _She's singling out Schneider, how perfect._

Keane turned her back. "You threw a box of tampons at Bubbles, correct?"

Robin's eyes filled with tears. "I…I didn't…mean to."

Ms. Keane nodded. "I'm _aware _of that, Miss Schneider. For a moment I just couldn't bear to believe it—you're a straight A student, perfect attendance three years in a row, Vice-President of the Student Council….Robin…for now…_you're off the hook._"

There were gasps and grunts of disbelief and disgust from the crowd.

Ms. Keane was still frowning. "However, you will come back here after school and clean the bleachers for the next assembly. Got it?" Robin nodded and looked down.

Princess grinned and Alexis chuckled. But their moment of "short triumph" wasn't lived.

"But the rest of you," Ms. Keane continued, "will receive a week's detention." She turned towards Blossom and Buttercup. "You both are excused, and may leave now."

Heather Cooper stepped forward. "Ms. Keane, about the detention…a week's worth…well, it won't work out for me. Sorry." Ms. Keane bared a sarcastic smile. "Yes, dear, why is that?"

Heather twirled a strand of her brown hair in her finger. "I have to help set up for prom."

Ms. Keane grinned. "Impressive. And I assume you all _want_ to go to prom…or are _going to?_"

Nods of "yes," and Ms. Keane smiled harder. "Well…then…it pains me to say this, but…if none of you show up to detention…the _new_ punishment will be four days of suspension, and _refusal _of your prom tickets. Get the picture?"

Alexis rolled her eyes. "So? It's just detention."

Ms. Keane held up a finger. "There's actually a catch to that, Alexis. It's to be _my _detention. Out on the soccer field. Every day for a whole week. An hour's worth of time."

Silence.

Ms. Keane smiled. "Good. Now go to lunch."

Princess gritted her teeth as Ms. Keane left. "That stupid gym teacher! She can't away with this!" She turned towards the other girls. "C'mon, if we all stick together—"

"Shut up, Princess."

Everyone looked at Robin in surprise. "What did you just say to me, Robin?" Princess growled.

"I told you to shut up. I'm sick of being your stooge. Later." And with that sentence, Robin walked out of the gym casually. Princess just stood there—dumbfounded.

"You know what, Schneider?" she called out in anger. "This….this…."

Her face went red as a tomato. "THIS ISN'T OVER BY A LONG SHOT!"

A half hour later, Blossom Utonium was in the library. She was searching through the card catalog. She kept flipping until she found what she needed.

A book entitled _Miracles of the Universe _by J.H. Grant.

Blossom found it in the index, and kept reading the sentence over and over again to herself.

_**Telekinesis**__—_**the ability to move or cause changes in objects, by the force of the mind. **

**I've done it again! BWAAA-HA-HAAAA! So how was it you guys? I take criticism. Why do you think Blossom was searching for "telekinesis"? Are you proud of Robin? Proud of Ms. Keane? What'll happen to Bubbles in the next chapter? (BTW, you'll meet the girls' **_**adoptive mother **_**in Chapter 3.) And DON'T WORRY—the Ruffs will be coming in the NEXT CHAPTER, too. R&R! Hope you enjoyed Chapter 2! **


	3. Mommy Dearest

**Chapter Three: Mommy Dearest **

Bubbles walked into the house to find it empty; Mama wasn't home yet. Bubbles walked into the kitchen and sat her backpack down. She grabbed a glass of water and pulled out her Science textbook. _**Newton's Laws of Gravity**_ was the assignment.

Mama's real name was Sarah Bellum. She was strict and religious. Mama Bellum worked as the minister's assistant at church. She also taught Bible Study classes at one point—but then on the subject of "Adam & Eve" she laughed like a maniac and refused to teach it. Mama scared Bubbles sometimes. _Always carrying around that pocket Bible and reciting Proverbs and prayers…._

"Bubbles? Darling, are you home?"

Mama Bellum was back from the church. Bubbles stopped writing and chugged down one last gulp of water before meeting her mother at the door. Mama was wearing a heavy black business jacket and a long matching black dress that went down to her knees. Her ginger-brownish hair was wild in big, puffy curls. Bubbles saw her holding the pocket Bible and froze. _Oh no, she's in a bad mood today…_

Mama Bellum slapped Bubbles down onto the floor with a blow to the head from the pocket Bible. "Sin!" she cried. "I was at work…and I received a phone call."

Bubbles' hair was all tangled around her face, like earlier. She made eye contact with Mama. "Who…was it…that called, Mama?"

"Your principal," Mama Bellum spat through her teeth. "I know what happened in that old locker room! _You sinned!_" Another slap—this time to the face.

"No, Mama! It wasn't like that! You see…I…"

"Hush, child!" Bellum cried. "You sinned…and now I must Save you. Yet again."

"Mama, please, listen to me!" Bubbles cried—tears streaming all down her face. "I stepped out of the shower—"

"OH, YES! YOU _SHOWERED _IN FRONT OF THE REST OF THE GIRLS!"

"—and they…my period…was…_showing._"

Mama Bellum hissed, "Your…_what? _The Curse of Blood, you mean?"

Bubbles felt that her heart was about to explode. Mama Bellum dragged her by the collar towards the living room. "Sinful child!"

Bubbles struggled as hard as she could. Mama had the strength of four men and made it difficult to break free. "Go to your closet and pray!" Mama commanded. "Ask to be Forgiven! The Lord—"

"Not everything has to do with Jesus or God, Mama! Please understand that!"

Mama Bellum's eyes widened. A sick, demented smile crept upon her face and it gave Bubbles the chills. "They've…gotten to you…haven't they?"

"They?"

"Blossom and Buttercup! Oh, Lord, I knew it!" Mama slapped her hands together. "When I dealt with Buttercup having her first…Curse of Blood…she almost _laughed _when I told her _the truth._ But not this time! I'm Saving you, Bubbles. Don't you realize that?"

"It's…n-not…m-my first, Mama! I've had it since I was twelve—you've known that!" Bubbles shouted. "You can't throw me around like this, Mama Bellum."

"Your father said the same thing. I tried to warn him…and then Satan carried him off!" Mama Bellum was on her knees, holding Bubbles' wrists in her hands.

"There was no Satan!" Bubbles screamed. "He died of cancer because he smoked. Mama, everyone knows that! _Everyone knows that_—"

Another slap. Bubbles stopped crying and her body began to shake.

"Mama…if there really _was _a God…then he would carry me off—away from here! Away from you and everyone else who's been mean to me!"

"Go to your closet and pray! Right now!" Mama hissed, releasing Bubbles' wrists. "There's still time! You. Will. Be. _Saved._"

Right after school, Butch picked up Buttercup in his red Chrysler and they drove to McDonald's for a bite to eat. They'd been together for almost seven weeks. On week five, she had trusted him (and loved him) enough to give him—as Mama Bellum would put it—_The Woman's Gift._ In other words…she gave him her virginity. It had hurt at first. But then everything became peaceful and amazing. Buttercup loved every moment of it. When it was over, however, there was a dire consequence. _Buttercup had become pregnant with his child._

She was planning to tell him at that moment—but decided to wait until they went to his house when no one was around.

They went up to his room and sat on Butch's bed. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, BC."

"I love you, too," she whispered back. "And if…we both love each other _very _much…then you'll understand and accept what I'm about to tell you…"

"Are you…breaking up with me?"

"No. Not that at all…you see…Butch…I'm…pregnant. It's your child."

She expected him to fly off the wall. To throw things around like a madman and start screaming and cursing at her. But instead, he kissed her long and hard until they both needed air. "I'll love you, forever," Butch whispered. His hand trailed down to her belly. "And I'll love him, or her, just as much…I promise."

Buttercup began to cry. They were tears of happiness. She wanted every part of him at that moment. She never wanted to leave…to have to go back home and face Mama Bellum with her crazy views on sex and sins and love.

"Make love to me…" she told him. "Make love to me right now…and…do me a favor as well."

Butch kissed her neck. "Anything…for you."

"Ask Boomer…if he'd…please take Bubbles to the Pokey Oaks High School prom next Friday night…"

**Aww, Buttercup and Butch have one of the best relationships EVER! LOL. Now, it's time for you all to….drum roll please…TAKE A VOTE! It's about Chapter 4! I won't be able to update until next weekend, probably. So I want you all to decide on what the next chapter should be…**

**Should it be about #1: "Princess's evil plan, featuring Ace" along with "Butch asking Boomer for the favor," or should it be #2: "Blossom's continuing research" along with "Mama Bellum's past with Daddy"? Post your vote in your review and also vote on My Profile! Thanks! Review!**


	4. When We Became Sinful

**Chapter Four: When We Became Sinful **

Mama Bellum slipped into her nightgown and removed her cross necklace. She placed her hair in a bun and walked into the hall. Her bare feet struck the cold wooden floor of the home. The house creaked because it was old—built in the early '20s. She approached Buttercup's room first. Her hand grabbed the knob and she barged in, but Buttercup heard her coming.

"Have you sinned today?"

Buttercup stopped brushing through her thick, long gorgeous black hair. She turned around from the mirror on her dresser and looked at her mother.

"No, Mama Bellum. I have not sinned."

Tears filled Mama's eyes. She walked towards Buttercup and placed her hand on top of Buttercup's head. "Lord, for if this child _has _sinned…watch over her. Give her Strength. Give her Ability. For if—"

She stopped in mid-sentence. Buttercup waited for her to finish. Mama Bellum took her hand of Buttercup's head and walked out of the room slowly.

She turned around as she reached the doorway. For a split second, Buttercup thought Mama had looked down at her stomach. The first tears had reached Mama Bellum's cheeks. "I _knew _it was too late. God bless you…"

Sarah Bellum was back in the hallway, heading towards Blossom's room. Her hand grasped the doorknob. She turned it. It was hard to open sometimes. The tears stopped and so did her breathing. She walked into Blossom's room and found her daughter reading a thick blue book.

_**(Flashback—**_**October 31, 1991)**

_A younger, more beautiful, Mama Bellum was sitting at the dining room table. She was flipping through a sewing magazine. With her was a glass of herbal tea and a giant cross that was almost a foot long. It was golden and smelled (almost) like detergent. She took a sip of her tea and flipped to another page. The house was empty—except for her and Bubbles. Bubbles was upstairs, looking out her bedroom window at the street below. All the other kids were out trick-or-treating. So how come she wasn't? _

_Mama had forbid trick-or-treating. "It's like being the messenger for Satan himself," she had announced earlier. "He fools you. And you die a terrible death."_

_Blossom was at a Robin's house for a sleepover, and Buttercup was at a Halloween party at the church. Mama did not attend the church party because she found it "odd" and "rude" to be celebrating _Satan's Birthday _in a holy place of God and Jesus. The thought of it almost made her quit her job at the church. _

_Bubbles walked down the staircase and into the dining room. Mama turned around and saw her six-year-old daughter—so small and helpless—standing in the doorway. "Come here, Bubbles," she whispered. "Pray with me. Satan is devouring the young minds of today's youth. But not us! Pray with me."_

_Bubbles was in a large white t-shirt that went down to her knees; it was Daddy's. _

_Mama placed the child in her lap and they began reciting. Mama Bellum held the child close and buried her nose in Bubbles' short blonde hair. "You are the only child of mine to remain sinless…thank you…thank you…"_

_The front door burst open and Daddy walked in. "Sarah!" he shouted. "I don't smell dinner. Damn it, I'm hungry!" Mama Bellum froze and her face went blank. She sat Bubbles down and got out of her chair. Sarah walked into the leaving room to meet her husband. He was bigger, stronger, he smelled of sweat and alcohol, and she knew he had sinned—he was at the office party and had too much to drink already. It was only eight-thirty._

"_Charles," she said politely. "I made dinner a half-hour ago. Pot roast with mashed potatoes. I've fixed you a plate and everything. Just go sit down and—"_

_**WOOSH! SMACK!**__ He slapped her across the face. His hand grasped her arm and he began to twist it slightly. "It's gone cold. Are you feeding me _shit_?" She smelled the liquor on his breath._

"_N-No, Charles…" she stuttered quietly. "It's s-still w-warm and..." He threw her down and she groaned as her bottom hit the floor. _

"_Where are the kids?" he growled._

"_Blossom is with the Schneider family. Buttercup is out sinning."_

_Charles Utonium rolled his eyes. "You're never going to change, are you? You take your job too seriously! I'm sick of it—"_

"_GOD'S WILLPOWER!" Mama Bellum screamed suddenly. "YOU DARE DEFY THE LORD! AFTER ALL HE'S DONE? WHY? WHY!"_

"_Shut up!" he screamed. Sarah looked up at him. She had on a wicked grin. _

"_He will come and collect your soul," she muttered through her teeth. "You smoke…and drink…and He doesn't like it. I married you because the Devil tricked me! He tricked me and—" __**POP! POP! CRACK! **__The pictures that hung up on the wall suddenly cracked and glass covered the floor, just inches away from them._

"_DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!" Charles demanded. "Or else…I'll…use __**the power**__…do you remember…__**the power**__?" _

_Mama looked up at him. "Satan's clever. You've lost your mind."_

"_Stand up and look me in the eyes!" he roared. "Stand up!"_

_But Mama Bellum remained on the floor. She stared into space and began reciting. "__**The Lord will find the sins we have committed. We shall burn with Satan. Long and hard we shall suffer. WE WILL SUFFER—**__" _

"_I told you to stop!"_

_The ashtray, on the living room table, flipped over and broke in half on the floor. Mama kept reciting; Daddy kept fighting. Bubbles heard all of this. _

"_Mommy! Daddy! Stop! Please stop!" she screamed, hands over her ears. She walked out of the dining room—the door suddenly slammed shut behind her, as if an invisible person had closed it. Bubbles then found herself in the kitchen. Her vision briefly went black and white. She saw everything moving by itself. The table moved. The drawers opened and silverware flew out. The refrigerator was shaking. The faucet at the sink turned on and water blasted. _

_Bubbles was frightened. "Stop it!" she screamed blankly to all of the objects. "Stop moving! Stop moving!" But they wouldn't. She screamed._

_Ten minutes later, the police showed up when a neighbor had complained about a "disturbance of the peace"… _

_**(End of flashback)**_

"Blossom, go to bed, please…"

The ginger-haired girl looked up from her book and at her mother. "Yes, Mama. I'm sorry…" Mama walked out and went back to her own bedroom while Bubbles was downstairs in the "praying closet," the same place she had been in since Mama had arrived home…and it looked as if she'd be spending the night in there for once.

It was an hour later. Blossom couldn't help it. What she had discovered was amazing, and disturbing. She had checked out a book called _**Telekinesis: A Miracle of the Universe. **_And that's what she was reading in bed. She turned another page and read on….

**Early Cases of Telekinesis: 1960-1970**

_**It has been thought, for over hundreds of years, that moving objects with mental power—also known as "telepathy"—was found only common in witches who experimented. But the first "non-witch" case—made public to America—was discovered on November 14, 1960 in Albany, New York.**_

_**Mrs. Piper Rosenberg, age 32, had been living with her husband for almost three years when she discovered she could make objects float in midair. After revealing her astounding power to her husband, Richard, he placed her in an asylum. She remained there for almost ten years—labeled as "mentally insane"—and both doctors and other patients found that at random times an object, such as a pillow or a paintbrush or even a wheelchair, would be hovering a few feet off of the ground. Doctors, to this day, refuse to speak of the "strange happenings" that occurred throughout Piper Rosenberg's stay. The events stopped immediately after Rosenberg suddenly experienced brain damage and died in her sleep under cardiac arrest. When her body was transported out, the coroner could've sworn that Mrs. Rosenberg was the reason why his clothes suddenly tore open—as if a beast had clawed them—and a pen flew out of his pocket and straight at the wall. **_

Blossom closed the book and clutched it to her chest. She turned off her lamp and tried to go to sleep. When she did, an image of Bubbles kept popping up.

_Bubbles…covered in blood…eyes wide open…_

That was the reason she woke up at five-thirty a.m. to the sound of someone beating helplessly on a door from the closet downstairs.

**Wow, you guys…my fingers hurt from all of this typing! Anyway, I updated! HOORAY! I looked at the poll on my page and saw that most people wanted Chapter 4 to be this idea! I hope I did good, and remember: I take criticism. Uh…oh yeah…if you guys have any ideas/requests for a chapter, I might do so…YAY! Just leave your idea/request in your review! Also…I MADE A TRAILER FOR THIS FANFIC! OH YEAH! It's on YouTube. Just go to my page and click on the link! Tell me what you think about the trailer, too! The requests/ideas will start at chapter 6! So, again, thanks for reading this! See you guys tomorrow! **


	5. Flashback 1: Prom Night Begins

**Flashback Chapter: The Beginning of Prom Night**

_Officer Lively threw a small bag of potato chips across the table in the interrogation room. Robin was at the other end. "Eat up, Schneider," the female cop said. Robin looked up. "I want to leave."_

_Lively pulled out a folder; inside there were numerous news reports and photos of the Utonium family members. Bubbles' freshman photo was the first thing that caught Robin's eye._

"_Robin, what exactly happened on Prom Night?"_

_There was no answer from the brunette. She wasn't usually shy, but she was tired…tired of everyone asking her the same questions. "Robin?" Still no response. "Miss Schneider?"_

_Robin began to tear up. "What the hell do you people want from me?"_

_Lively paused. "We need to know what happened. Robin, you were at prom. You are one out of eight survivors who attended the event at the high school that night. Now what happened?"_

_Robin took the chips and looked away. "Gee, I'm a person of interest…"_

"_Robin, please." _

_The teenage girl tucked a strand of brown hair behind her right ear. "Fine…I'll tell you everything I know. But it's a long story…"_

_Lively looked down at her watch: __**10:30 AM**__. "We've got time…"_

"_Where should I begin?" She took a chip from the bag. She chewed it slowly, carefully. Officer Lively just sat there with deep, soulless blue eyes that made Robin's spine crunch up._

_Lively took out a notepad and a pen. "Just start from the beginning."_

_And so Robin Schneider launched into the story…_

_(Prom Night. MAY 28, 1999)_

Her mother had bought her a silk fuchsia gown that went down to her ankles. Robin had already tried it on twice. She _loved _it. Mike Believe, her boyfriend of two years, gave her the corsage the previous morning when they were in Mr. Greene's Period Two Algebra class. Robin put on her shoes—they were hurting her feet (_Oh, well, I'll just walk it off_)—and she walked down the spiral staircase. Her parents were waiting at the door. "Oh, my sweetheart," her mother said, tearing up. "You're beautiful."

Robin's father took at least five pictures, and then Mike came. He kissed her on the cheek, took her arm, and they walked to his car. "You look sexy," he whispered. She smiled. "You too, Mikey." They arrived at the school at seven-thirty, it had been a ten minute drive and Robin was eager to see the decorations. As they pulled into the parking lot, Mike gently tapped the breaks.

"Bubbles…" he whispered. Robin looked about fifty feet ahead. Two blondes were just getting out of a '97 BMW. "She's with Boomer!" Robin exclaimed, smiling graciously. "That's good."  
They found a parking space and Mike took her arm once again as they walked into the gymnasium. The lights were in colors of blue, red, yellow, and green. White and red balloons—the school colors—covered the ceiling. Mike gestured to a banner that read: POKEY OAKS PROM, CLASS OF 1999. Robin smiled at the beauty of it all. She scanned the gym and found them…Bubbles and Boomer…at the punch bowl, sipping their drinks slowly. She and Mike walked over. "Glad you could make it, Bubbles."

Bubbles was somehow a bit startled. "Oh! Oh, Robin. Hi." Mike looked down and saw that Boomer was holding her hand (_That's sweet…_), as if Bubbles was at her first doctor's appointment, about to receive a shot that five year olds would scream at.

"You look amazing, Bubbles," Robin said. It was true. The Utonium girl had the ends of her hair slightly curled; perfume in the scent of cherries had been sprayed on her neck; light mascara on her eyelashes… _She's like a Disney princess_, Robin thought. Bubbles bit her lower lip. "Um, Boomer?" Her date touched her bare shoulder. "Yeah?" Bubbles looked down at the floor. "Can…can we go find a seat?" Boomer nodded and guided her to a table. Mike and Robin followed.

"Mind if we join you two?" Mike said curtly. Bubbles blushed. "Y-Yeah…okay."

For a while, the four of them sat in silence. Students and teachers alike walked by. Some of them whispered; most of them just _stared_… Robin cleared her throat. "I love your dress, Bubbles. Did you buy it at _Madison's Fabric_?" Bubbles fumbled with her fingers. She was so nervous. "I…made it."

"You like to sew?" Mike chuckled. "You remind me of my mother. Don't worry—it's actually a compliment!" The tension was eased. They all laughed—even Bubbles—and then Ms. Keane came over.

"Hello," she said. "I see you all are having a wonderful time. Bubbles…it's nice to see you again. How are things? Everything alright?" Bubbles didn't make eye contact. "Yeah…thanks."

"Well, I don't want to be a bug," Ms. Keane chuckled. "Enjoy yourselves." And then she left. Bubbles finally looked up. Her eyes were tearing up a bit. Robin flinched. "Bubbles—" Boomer squeezed her hand. "What's wrong, Bubbles?" His cup of punch suddenly slid off the table. Mike's eyes widened.

"I'm…I'm fine, Boomer," the girl whispered. "Then why are you crying?" he asked.

"I…I have something to tell you…I…" The microphone was turned on and Vice Principal Monroe walked on to the stage. "Hello, students!" A few cheers erupted. "We'll kick off the first song…and the request is…_Kiss Me_ by Sixpence None The Richer." Mike looked over at Robin. "Shall we dance?" She giggled and walked onto the dance floor with him. Bubbles and Boomer stayed behind. The song began to play. Couples gathered around and began slow dancing.

"Robin…" Mike whispered into her ear. He had pulled her close. "Oh, Mike."

"Did you see that?" he said, looking into her eyes. "See what?" Robin asked. Mike shook his head. "It's just that…okay, was it just me or did something funny happen with Boomer's cup?" Robin narrowed her eyes. "What…what are you saying, Mikey?" she chuckled. "His cup…it just…_tipped_ _over_…" Mike whispered. "That's freaky. It's like someone _pushed_ it off…but no one did."

Robin shook her head. "Oh, Mike, the lights are obviously messing with your eyes."

Mike Believe just shrugged off the thought. _Sure, it was weird_, he thought, _but Robin's right…it's no big deal. _They continued to dance until the song ended. Mike slowly looked back. Apparently the cup was now back on the table, as if it had been there…as if everything had been in place.

_Something's not right. No, wait. I just need to enjoy the night…I…_

Out of the corner of his eye, he also could've sworn that he saw Ace, of the Gang Green Gang, go behind the curtains of the stage. "Hey, Robin…" She rolled her eyes. "Now what, Mike?" He thought about it for a second. "N-Nevermind…let's just go sit back down."

In less than an hour, all Hell was going to break loose…literally.

**BAM! I'm back! I know it's been FOREVER! A lot has been going on. Honestly, I decided to update now because it was the right time. I DIDN'T EXPECT THIS STORY TO BE SO POPULAR! WOW! This was kind of a "flashback chapter," so yeah, it kinda gives away a few spoilers of future chapters…but not everything…so don't panic. I love you all! By the way…in Chapter One, I made the date May 23, 1999…which was actually a Sunday in real life, LOL, so the students wouldn't have been in school…but this is FICTION, so let's pretend it's a MONDAY! Yay! So, yeah, GIMME LOTS AND LOTS OF REVIEWS…and submit your future predictions for this story! I'll update VERY soon. Luv u all! –Ciao **


	6. Boomer, Ace, and Princess

**Chapter Five: Boomer, Ace, and Princess**

An excerpt from the biography of_**The Townsville Tragedy: May 28, 1999.**_

_It can only be decided that the whole tragedy came from the idea of—what many are saying to be—a "harmless prank." Seventeen-year-old Princess G. Morbucks and her boyfriend, Ace C. McGreen, eighteen, (who were both seniors) plotted against Bubbles Utonium. On May 26, 1999, they snuck onto Farmer Lumpkins farm, which was about twenty miles west out of town. It is also believed that they had at least three accomplices to help them in the act. Also, reportedly, Farmer Lumpkins found one of his prized pigs, Kerri Lou, slaughtered; the hog's head had been cut off with an axe, and most of its blood had (somehow) been drained. All of this lead up to a "harmless prank," and the "harmless prank" has led to one of the greatest massacres/tragedies in world history… _

**(May 23, 1999—Townsville Roadhouse, 11:15 PM) **

Princess sat in the big red booth all the way in the back of the bar. Ace came over with two beers. "Here you go, babe," he said coolly. She formed a shit-eating grin. "Thanks, baby."

They had just gotten there. The two of them were infamous for being late. And for two years, everyone had questioned their relationship. Princess was the daughter of a millionaire; Ace's dad owned the Townsville dump. Princess wore neat, but slutty, clothes; Ace was always seen wearing the same thing at least twice a week. They were almost finished with their beers when Alexis and her boyfriend, Jacob Brewer, walked in through the back entrance. "Lexi!" Princess called. "Alexis! Yoo hoo! Over here!"

Alexis looked over at the two of them, grabbed Jacob's arm, and walked over to their booth.

The McKinley girl was wearing a tight purple tank top with spaghetti straps, and black jean shorts that went only a little bit past her butt; not to mention her ugly brown sandals that she always had around. Jacob, on the other hand, was wearing his football jersey with the number **6** on the back. Stephanie, the middle-aged waitress, came over at took their orders—each one of them wanted a hamburger.

Alexis tied her back. "So, Princess, what's new?"

Ace looked away and Princess scoffed. "Well…that bitchy Ms. Keane—as you saw—slapped me in front of our entire gym class. I'm going to tell my daddy as soon as I get home. He'll sue the shit out of Pokey Oaks High, and then I'll get sent off to Wales or Princeton early for college or something."

Ace's hand cupped her small (flat) breast and said, "Aw, honey, you wouldn't leave me, would you?"

Princess looked at him with lust. "N-No, babe. I love you." They did a quick kiss; Ace stuck his tongue in her mouth and his hand touched her thigh.

Their burgers came and Jacob instantly stuffed his face.

"So," Alexis said, chewing, "what are you planning to do?"

Ace wrapped his arm around Princess. "My babe and I are thinkin' of pulling a _joke_, you know? Rough some people up…like that Bubbles chic…the bitch no one likes."

Alexis giggled. "What kind of joke?"

Jacob put a fry in his mouth and looked at Ace. "How about chicken feathers and egg yolks?"

Princess cringed. "Eww…but no. Too simple and easy. Not nearly as funny as—"

"Pig blood?" Ace suggested. "Get it? Pig blood…for a _pig._"

As if on cue, all four of them laughed. Princess scooted closer to her Prince Charming. "Oh, Ace," she said, "you always have such…_clever_, sexy ideas!" Their make out session began. "Wait," Alexis interrupted. "How exactly are we going to do that? In plain sight?"

Princess formed another shit-eating smile. "We'll think of something."

Alexis and Jacob said goodbye and left. On the other side of town, Butch approached his brother in order for a favor.

**(Jojo household, **_**235 Edmore Street**_**.) **

Boomer was downstairs doing his Chemistry homework. It was almost midnight. He had been behind on his schoolwork lately. And this particular assignment was due first thing in the morning. He was almost finished when he heard footsteps. It was Butch.

"Boomer?"

"Yeah?"

"Glad you're still up…can we talk?" Butch sat on the couch. Boomer put his pencil down and rubbed his eyes. "Uh, sure, man."

Butch took a death breath. "I…know you like Bubbles. And, well, as we all know, she's not exactly the most _popular _girl at Pokey Oaks High School. So I—"

"Butch, stop."

"What?"

"Buttercup put you up to this, didn't she?" Boomer locked eyes with his older brother. There was a long silence. "So what if she did? Boomer, honestly, I'm asking you as a brother…"

Boomer ran his fingers through his blonde hair. "Calm down, Butch. What exactly are you asking me to do? A date? Eat lunch with her?" Butch shook his head. "No…take her to the prom."

Boomer's face went red. "Wh-What did you j-just say?"

"Boomer, stop it! I know you like her! I've…I've seen the way you look at her. At lunch. In History class…I know that you like her. Admit it…"

Boomer looked away. "So what if I do? Besides, even if I did ask her…she'd say no."

"What makes you say that? She likes you, too."

Boomer stood up. "I have to go to bed. Goodnight, Butch."

He was about to walk up the staircase when he paused, and turned around. "A few weeks ago, I saw Bubbles walking down the hall. Some cheerleaders walked by. And they tripped her. Butch, I saw the hurt in her eyes. What's worse…I kind of laughed along with everyone else. And she saw me."

Butch thought about it for a second. "She'll say yes. Don't worry."

Boomer sighed. "Fine, when should I ask her?"

"Tomorrow during Study Hall; she should be in the library. Goodnight Boomer."

"Goodnight Butch."

**WEE! ANOTHER CHAPTER DONE! I am so back into this story…but since I last updated (yesterday) I've only gotten 2 reviews! WHAT THE DICK? Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW! It's just…this story is so popular! MORE REVIEWS! In fact, I will have a contest! ****The 50****th ****reviewer will have their own character included in the story as a bully OR a student who is at the prom!**** SO C'MON! REVIEW! Please! Thanks! Sugar lumps on top! –Ciao **


	7. It's A Date

**Chapter Six: It's A Date**

**AMERICAN NEWS BULLETIN:**_**12**__**th**__** Grader Suspended From School Due To "Shocking" Essay**_

_In Great Forks, North Dakota, seventeen-year-old senior Kara Kosher was suspended from St. Burke Central High School when she wrote an essay for her English class entitled, "The Girl Who Was Anything But A Victim." Within the paper's contents, Kosher told her classmates about fourteen-year-old Bubbles Utonium, who, as we all know, committed the number one massacre in world history. Utonium (within the essay) was labeled as a "martyr" and a "hero." English teacher, Nora Kenton, withheld the essay from Miss Kosher and reported it to the PTA. A vote decided that such a "violent and subjective" topic should not be discussed in school at all; Kosher's father, Harold, a lawyer, has told the press that his daughter's suspension was clearly put into, as he said, "the wrong category." Most North Dakota citizens are blaming this vote as an act of censorship, but many others are agreeing with the PTA. Principal of St. Burke, Mrs. Grey, has told the Great Forks Press: "This, honestly, is just a little misunderstanding. We give our students the right to speak their minds. Our school loves a little bit of 'creativity' such as the essay that this young lady wrote. It'll be taken care of." Kara Kosher herself has argued that she is willing, as an adult, to sue the school and the North Dakota Parent Teacher Association for withholding her paper. Blossom Jojo, the eldest sister of Bubbles Utonium, came out of hiding briefly to share her thoughts on the matter: "I love to write, so when I heard this I was shocked. An essay about my_ _little sister? Some people are calling this 'mad.' Well, I don't like the vote that the PTA made…that's all I have to say." _–Huffington Post, October 2003

**(May 24, 1999) **

Bubbles was sitting at a table in the back of the library when Boomer found her. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, her face was revealed—neat, clean, no acne for once. Boomer didn't want to approach her just yet. _She'll think I'm crazy, _he told himself. _I gotta make it look like I'm just browsing…_

Of course, she had already seen him out of the corner of her eye. She got nervous around him. Once, they were partners for a Chemistry project. But Bubbles—what with Isaiah Fish and Danny Reed throwing spitballs at the back of her head—did not say a word to him when they were studying chemical compounds. _I'm so stupid, _she thought. _I could NEVER talk to BOOMER…of all people…_

Bubbles looked up from the book she was reading. _Just a quick glance at him—OH NO, he saw me! Oh God! Oh no…just go back to reading. Reading…_

He approached her slowly. "Uh…hey Bubbles."

She couldn't look at him. She didn't have the nerve. He made her bones turn to jelly, at least…that's what it felt like. Butterflies were turning in her stomach. "B-Boomer…hi." Bubbles managed to put her book down. "Are you…here for the English homework? We write a paper for Shakespeare—"

He chuckled. (_Oh, great, Bubbles. Wrong move…I'm so stupid!_) "No. Actually, it's not about the English paper. I came over to ask you…" Boomer paused. He looked down at her book.

"_The Catcher In The Rye_…"

"Have…have you read it?" She thought maybe she could ponder on. Ask him a few questions in order to keep there…just a few inches away from her. "I've read it three times."

Boomer smiled. "I've read it _four _times."

She was blushing crimson red. _Oh he's so cute…but why is he talking to me? Probably here to set me up for a joke…I bet Princess...I bet she put him up to it… _Nervously, she picked up her book and started to pack up her things. "Bubbles, wait." She stopped dead in her tracks. "Y-Yeah?"

The fifteen-year-old boy just stared at her for a moment. He was admiring all her glory. She was beautiful. So why did everybody call her names—whore, slut, pig, weenie, turd—and treat her like shit? Boomer didn't understand it all. But he came here for a reason. So he just opened his mouth, slowly, and said: "If…you don't have a date for the prom on Friday…would you like to go with me?" By now, everyone else in the library had either transitioned to the other side of the room, or they left early to head to Fifth Period. You could hear a mouse sneeze. "Boomer…are you trying to trick me?"

He was taken aback. "Hell no. Bubbles, I—"

The tears came. "Who put you up to this? Princess? Alexis? Heather? Robin? Boomer, I could name a thousand more. Don't play tricks with me." They looked at each other. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm asking you because I want to." That was half-true. "Bubbles, I won't hurt you."

Bubbles held back the rest of her tears and looked down at the floor. "It's just…they laugh at me. They always laugh at me. I feel like I can't trust anyone. Boomer, only my sisters care for me…and my mama…she's told me all about boys…how they _touch_ girls and make them _bleed_ and give them _pleasure_ when they don't want it. How can I trust—?" He pulled her close. "I asked you, didn't I?"

She felt the warmness of his body. His breath that smelled like mint. And she loved everything about him. He was cute, charming, and quick to the point. Not to mention, she was a sucker for those ocean-blue eyes. He smiled at her and she formed a small grin. "Okay, Boomer. I'll go."

Boomer laughed. "Great. I'll pick you up at 7:45."

Bubbles held her book to her chest. "Alright…uh…goodbye. I…Boomer I…thank you." And she left him. It may have seemed awkward, but on the inside she was screaming with joy.

**(Fifth Period, Algebra. Room D-49)**

Princess was sitting at her desk, filing her nails. The teacher was going on and on about some pointless lecture and she wasn't listening—in fact, she never did.

She had started working on her left pinky when she heard Heather Cooper and Natasha Winters giggling behind her. Obviously, they were gossiping. Princess turned around. "Okay," she said smiling. "Who do you have the dirt on? I love juicy stories." Natasha and Heather look at each other and then looked back at Princess. Natasha cleared her throat. "Boomer Jojo."

"What about him?"

Heather smiled nervously. "He…asked Bubbles Utonium to prom."

Princess dropped her nail-filer. "Excuse me. What did you just say? He asked _who _to the prom?"

Natasha nibbled on the end of her eraser. "Tony and I were in the library during Study Hall and Caitlyn Jiménez came over and told us, because apparently she saw the whole thing unfold."

Princess narrowed her eyes. "Oh really? Well…I'm not going to stand for this. That little bitch already has every teacher watching over her—" RING. The class was over and they all gathered up their things to go home. Princess scoffed. "I mean, come on! How could Boomer be attracted to her? She's ugly."

Natasha shrugged and Heather looked away. "Well, needless to say…I wasn't planning on going to prom at all. It's so stupid. And now that you-know-who is going…I'm not even considering the idea of such a thing ever happening. But trust me, I'm gonna get her."

"How?" Heather asked. "She's just going to prom and—"

"_Exactly_, Heather," Princess said, flashing one of her famous shit-eating smiles. "Now, if you two will excuse me…I have to go meet up with Ace and tell him the news. Ta-ta!"

**OH YES! ANOTHER FABULOUS CHAPTER DONE. AND NOW I AM REALLY TIRED SO GOODNIGHT AND SEE YOU GUYS AGAIN SOON. KEEP REVIEWING. I LOVE YOUR REVIEWS…okay I took the Caps Lock off. So tune in for the next chapter, it's going to be another flashback. Keep making guesses and check out the poll on my profile. See ya! (BTW, I own NOTHING….no PPG or RRB or anything!)**


	8. Confronting Mama

**Chapter Seven: Confronting Mama**

_The clock was driving her crazy. _Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tick. Tock._ Eventually the noise was too much for her and she covered her ears. Not a split second later, Detective Lewis came in. _

"_Cordelia," he said, sitting down promptly. _

"_My friends call me Ruby," the young girl said snidely._

"_Okay…Ruby…do you know why you're here?"_

"_Duh. Black Prom."_

"_What?"_

"_That's our little nickname for the…incident. We call it Black Prom."_

_Lewis rolled his eyes. "Very well then; first of all, tell me why you were at the prom. After all, you were a freshman. And this event consisted of seniors and juniors."_

_Ruby started biting her thumb nail. "Dude, seriously? Bubbles and Boomer were freshmen…" Lewis just gave her a look of I-Know-That and she sighed. "If you must know, I was helping with the voting ballots. Mrs. Dixon and Miss Keane needed a few extra hands…so my friends—Dylan and Kirby—and I volunteered. Honestly, the three of us needed extra credit for History _and_ Gym."_

"_The voting ballots?" Lewis asked. "For Prom King and Queen?"_

"_Yep…boy, lemme tell ya'…everybody was having a great time…and then…"_

_Ruby's eyes began to tear up. The detective gave her a moment. After a few seconds, Ruby covered her face with her hands, and then she looked at Lewis sharply. "They won. Oh, the two of them looked so happy…I…I was clapping along with everyone else. They were on the stage. Bubbles had that tiara on, and the bouquet of roses that she was holding in one arm. Vice Principal Monroe said something…" She paused, sniffling. "…Boomer…he kissed Bubbles. And Mitch Mitchelson set up the microphone stand so Bubbles could give a quick speech."_

_Detective Lewis nodded. "I think I have an idea of what happened after that, Ruby."_

_Ruby looked away. "THEY RUINED EVERYTHING! PRINCESS…THAT STUPID NO GOOD…UGH!" The tears came at last. Lewis gave her a box of tissues. Five minutes went by and Ruby had finally calmed down. "I'm one of eight survivors," she whispered. "This whole thing has messed me up. I'm on edge, detective." He sat there and nodded. The young red-haired girl stood up. "I would like to go now."_

"_Can you answer me one last question?"_

"_Fine…what is it?"_

_The detective began playing with an ink pen. He sighed, putting the pen down, and looked at the clock. _Tick. Tock. Tock. Tock. Tick.

"_Is it true that _nobody_ was laughing when the prank was pulled?" _

**(May 25, 1999. 8:34 PM)**

Mama Bellum chopped the carrots on the cutting board and slung them into the boiling water. Bubbles was in the living room, picking out the fabric for her dress. Of course, Mama had been busy lately—unaware of her daughter's plans for Friday night—and thought Bubbles was just working on a personal sewing project. Bubbles chose a light blue color from the box of fabric patterns in the attic. She had the headless mannequin in front of the coffee table; measuring the waist size and deciding whether or not it should be strapless.

Mama poured the soup into two white china bowls and sat them down at the table. Bubbles hesitated with the measuring tape; would Mama approve of this? _No, of course not. _The thought of her reaction struck Bubbles over and over. _Maybe she'll say yes…_

"Dinner!" Mama Bellum called.

Bubbles put the measuring tape down and removed the ponytail that she had been showing to the world all day (apparently, to Mama, ponytails were "unwise"). "Coming, Mama."

Her long blonde hair fell down a little ways past her neck and covered her shoulders as well. She was wearing a gray jumper with Velcro-strap shoes and pantyhose.

Buttercup and Blossom, as usual, were not present in the household. Blossom had (at the last minute) been paired up with Brick Jojo on a History project and was at his house working on it; Brick was Butch's older brother, and since Butch was with Buttercup, she was in the same house watching a movie on the couch. Later on, after the tragic event, they would later question their choices of leaving Bubbles alone with Mama. The two of them fell into a small state of depression after the tragedy.

Mother and daughter. They sat at the long table, eating the soup graciously. It was still hot. Mama always kept the lights off when they ate. Instead, she lit two candles and placed them on each end of the table. After they had said the prayers, they began to sip the soup solemnly.

Bubbles had trouble eating. She wanted to tell Mama, very badly. _A nice boy invited me to prom…can I go, Mama? _She took another bite, crunching a piece of celery. _The reason I'm making that dress Mama is because Boomer Jojo invited me to the prom, and I'm going._

Mama Bellum took a sip of her iced tea and looked at her daughter, who was staring down into the soup. "Bubbles, you've hardly touched your split pea soup."

"I'm…not that hungry, Mama."

"The Lord has blessed you with food. Now eat."

"Mama?"

"Yes?"

Bubbles sat down her spoon and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you think I'm odd?"

Mama Bellum sat her cup of tea down. She slightly chuckled. "Odd?"

"Well, Mama, what I'm trying to say is…oh, Mama, please say that I've got to start to…to try and get along with people better. I'm funny—well, all the kids think I'm funny. Especially some of the girls. I don't want to be funny. I want to start to try and be a whole new person before it's too late for me to—" Thunder rolled outside, and it began raining. Mama took another sip of her tea. A flame on one candle slightly flickered.

"What are going on about?" she asked.

Bubbles took a deep breath. "I've been invited to prom."

Mama, who was about to take a bite of her soup, paused. The spoon in her hand trembled. "What did you say? _Prom?_" More thunder. Lightning flashed at the window.

"The prom at Pokey Oaks; I've been invited by Boomer—"

"_If a man find a damsel [that is] a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found…_Deuteronomy 22:28-29."

"Mama, please don't. I'm not like you, okay?"

Thunder echoed throughout the house. Bubbles blinked, and then Mama flung her hot soup onto the teenage girl's face. Bubbles screamed. The split pea soup stained her jumper and she began to smell like vegetables and spice. She covered her eyes in pain and sobbed.

"I'm sorry, Mama. But I'm going, okay? His name is Boomer—he's a really nice boy—oh, Mama, just give me a chance—"

A hand slammed down on the table. "No, no, no, no, no—"

"Mama! Please!"

Her mother stood up. "Satan's clever. Go to your closet and pray. Hurry. There's still time." Anger was clearly shown in her eyes. But, for once, Bubbles was not afraid. She had—

_The power, oh, yes…the power! THE POWER!_

"Bubbles," Mama Bellum hissed. "Go to the closet right now."

"No! And you can't make me…"

Mama raised her hand to slap the girl. Bubbles concentrated. Mama's hand stopped in mid-air. "What the—?" Mama's tea cup was suddenly thrown against the wall towards the mockery painting of _The Last Supper_. Her eyes went wide. "You witch. That's Satan's power—"

"SHUT UP!" Bubbles screamed. The table shook and then collapsed, blowing out the candles and spilling what was left of Bubbles' soup. Mama held a hand to her chest.

"My child…my child…you've been overcome with Evil. The devil has finally found you. I knew it! I knew it!" Bubbles shook her head. "Mama, just stop it. I've…I've had it with your beliefs."

Mama Bellum slowly turned around, away from her daughter. "This boy you were talking about…what does he want from you?"

"What?"

"Face it, child. He _wants _you. He'll trick you."

"Mama, ewww…just…stop talking like _that_."

Mama fell to her knees. "Oh Lord!" she began to pray. "The girl has finally fallen. Save her. Save her. Save her. Save—"

"Mama, I'm going to prom. And this discussion shall not be brought up anymore, do you hear me? Mama…answer me!" The last roll of thunder came. Mama Bellum slowly stood up. She looked at Bubbles. "G-Go to b-bed now…" she said slowly.

"No. I'm going to keep working on my dress—"

"A _DRESS!_ FOR PROM! OH LORD!"

"—and _you _will go to bed, Mama."

When the rain had finally stopped, a half hour later, Blossom and Buttercup both came home. They found their little sister working on the blue silk dress.

She smiled at them as they walked in. "Hi," Bubbles said reluctantly.

**Yes! Another fabulous one done! I'm so happy with this story! I'm just…so into it. I LUV WRITING! Tee hee! Anyway…BIG NEWS! I'm having a FAN ART contest for this story! YAY! Send me (a link) for some awesome fan-made art that you have done for this story! I'll select at least four or five winners…SO C'MON…REVIEW! My new goal is 70! WE CAN DO IT! WE CAN DO IT! (I still don't own anything by the way…) REVIEW! And…Ciao! **


	9. Flashback 2: The Last Day of Summer Camp

**Flashback 2: The Last Day of Summer Camp**

_Detectives Seeley and Lewis brought the woman in at 2:45 pm. She wasn't old—only 30—and her brown hair curved around her ears. She was wearing a plaid skirt and a green sweater. Her blue eyes scanned the room; it was small, no windows, and the lights were dimmed. The woman sighed, shaking her head. Detective Seeley rolled out the handheld camera and pressed __**Record**__._

**Lewis: **State your name.

**Katherine: **_[bored tone] _Katherine Hightower.

**Lewis: **_[pulls out a folder] _Do you know Bubbles Utonium?

**Katherine:** [confused] Uh…yeah…I do, actually.

**Lewis:** Was she one of yours?

**Katherine:** _[sighs] _One of my campers? Yes, she was. I clearly remember her.

**Lewis:** [opens the folder] What made her stand out?

**Katherine:** [shocked face] I…beg your pardon?

**Lewis:** _[professional tone] _You said you clearly remember her. That means she stood out.

**Katherine:** What's wrong with standing out?

**Lewis:** Answer the question, please.

**Katherine:** _[crosses her arms]_ Fine. It was the summer of '92. I had a group of sixteen children at Camp Crawford. My group was called the _Guppies_. And then there was Bubbles…

**Lewis:** _[repeating as he writes]_ …and then there was Bubbles.

**Katherine:** She was, I dunno, a bit shy. Whenever we did a group activity she never volunteered. One time we were doing Arts & Crafts—she painted a family portrait with her fingers. I hung it up briefly in the Mess Hall for others to see.

**Lewis:** _[smiling snidely]_ You mean _this _picture? [pulls out Bubbles' painting]

**Katherine:** _[speechless]_ How did you—?

**Lewis:** _[proudly]_ She even wrote a poem on the back of it. Want me to read it?

**Katherine:** _[angry]_ What the hell are you getting at, Detective Lewis?

**Lewis:** _[reading poem]_ "If God is real, I can't see him. If Mama loves me, why does she hit me? I cry too much. But I love my family." Miss Hightower, what do you think that means?

**Katherine:** _[sarcastically]_ Help, I'm abused.

**Lewis:** _[scowling]_ Exactly. So what did you do?

**Katherine:** _[rolls her eyes]_ Look. When she went back on the bus to go home, I tried to call her house a few times. I got no answer. I was just a counselor for that _one _summer. I was twenty-three and I needed some college credit. _[sighs]_ The only reason she sticks out in my mind is because of all the Hell she went through at that camp.

**Lewis:** _[calm tone]_ Very well. Tell me everything that happened…

**(Camp Crawford—Summer of 1992)**

She stood out from the rest of them. She was small, fragile. The girl had pale white skin and she always cried when somebody made fun of her. One day when they went hiking, somebody thought it would be funny (_Oh, hey, let's trip Bubbles! It'll be funny!_) to gently nudge her off the trail. An eight-year-old boy pushed her shoulder. Instead of stumbling—Bubbles just fell over…_hard_. Dirt, twigs and leaves fill her hair. She nearly broke her nose on a large rock. When she stopped rolling, Counselor Hightower ran down to see if she was okay.

"Bubbles! Are you okay? Who pushed you?"

The little girl just placed her hands over her face and sobbed. The next morning at breakfast, in the Mess Hall, a group of snide little boys and girls came over to Bubbles, who was eating (as usual) by herself. "We saw the picture," one of them said. "Do you hate your Mama?" They pointed. They laughed. And they even called her _bad _names that little kids should never say. "Is your Mama mean?" they teased. The little girl never responded with anger.

Bubbles just poked her scrambled eggs with a fork. She mumbled something that none of them could hear. A few minutes later, Counselor Hightower and Counselor Brown were trying to remove the sticky jelly out of her hair; someone threw toast at the back of her head.

But all of this was just the beginning. They tricked her into sitting on a pinecone when they were decorating nature-made objects in Arts & Crafts; Billy Fisk pushed her off the dock—into the _ice cold _water— when Hightower was demonstrating swim techniques at eight o'clock in the morning; she was rejected at every table during breakfast, lunch, and dinner; "stinky" or "barf-bag" were terms used to describe her appearance; none of them were ever nice to her.

One the last day at Camp Crawford, they went too far. A girl named Samantha Reid, who had lots of freckles on her face, sat next to Bubbles on the bus. They were going down the road to the great big campfire to eat lunch. "Sit with me at the picnic table," Samantha said. "It'll be fun." But not for Bubbles; just for the rest of _them_. Poor Bubbles actually believed that they were attempting to be nice. Lunch was almost over. The counselors were still eating, though. The group of kids, along with Bubbles, went down to the shore of the lake. "Hey Bubbles," a boy with a cow-lick squealed. "We dare you to swim in the lake _nude_…no shirt or anything!" After subsequently debating inside her head, Bubbles went behind a bush, stripped, and dived into the lake. Two boys took her clothes and covered them in dirt and poison ivy.

When she got to four feet of water, she had trouble holding her head above the surface. On the shore, the kids were giggling and pointing and snorting in laughter. Bubbles screamed as she suddenly thrashed in the water. This went on for almost five minutes until the counselors stopped eating and their ears alerted them to the screams of the little blue-eyed girl.

Hightower walked waist deep into the water and dragged Bubbles out. Some of them recoiled with a shocked expression as Bubbles was revealed to be naked. One counselor handed over a towel and Bubbles buried her face into Hightower's belly, sobbing uncontrollably. She patted the little girl's head, feeling sorry for her. The kids scurried off and none of them received a punishment. When Bubbles changed into new, fresh clothes, she was sent back onto the bus early. The other kids were about to get on when Bubbles looked out the window—Samantha Reid and the other mean kids—and stared at the picnic tables. _They laughed at me, they laughed at me, oh, they laughed, they always do…_ And then something happened—the tables moved; they shifted. One even flipped over. A few of the children squealed.

Bubbles looked over at Samantha Reid. _She's the meanest of them all_. Samantha fell flat onto her stomach (knocked the breath right out of her) and she was _dragged _across the hard, rocky ground. As soon as it happened, it stopped. Samantha had a panic attack. And Bubbles smiled.

To this day, Katherine Hightower has always remembered the last day of camp.

**EPIC! I own this AWESOMENESS! But I do not own anything else. I'M SO EXCITED! THIS STORY IS GETTING VERY POPULAR AROUND THE WORLD! Tee hee! Anyway, it's announcement time! For the ending to this entire story (when the time comes) there will be some alternate endings—because some of you are like "Oh no, don't let her die!" or "Will she die? Will she live?" BAAAHHHH! I can't take it anymore…but your curiosity intrigues me. Also…keep those reviews coming! WHY AREN'T I GETTING LOTS OF REVIEWS?! If none of you review…I will crash the Oscars on live TV and beat up Seth MacFarlane! YES…I WILL (okay, not really, but you get the point)! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! And vote for the poll on my profile! Ciao!**


	10. Little Piggy

**Chapter Eight: Little Piggy**

This is an entry from the journal of Elmer S'glue. He lived on the same street as the Utonium family for almost six years until his family relocated back to Sweden. Elmer was about thirteen when he wrote this journal entry. It has been translated into English.

**June 26, 1994**

_Mother, Tabby, Archie and I were outside today. The temperature was very high and we were in the swimming pool. Mother made us burgers and we ate on the patio, next to the sliding glass door. Eventually, Mother said it was too hot…so we went inside and watched some cartoons. An hour went by, and Tabby and I wanted some ice cream, and so Mother went into the kitchen to get the tub of Strawberry & Vanilla Goodness, you know, from the brand of Ordinarily Delicious Ice Treats. I wanted to go outside with my bowl, but Mother made me stay inside. She said our neighbors—the Utoniums—were probably doing their "holy rolling" again; apparently it has something to do with praying outside, very loudly. But, nevertheless, I went outside. And my little sister (Tabby) came with me. She sat on the edge of the pool and splashed her feet, giggling. Mother didn't know about this because she went upstairs to do laundry. _

_I was just standing out there, eating from the china bowl. The sun was melting my ice cream. Scoop after scoop after scoop, I ate as fast as I could. There are many kids in our neighborhood, from toddlers to about children my age. But I don't have many friends in this neighborhood, just my regulars back in Sweden. I heard all of the kids playing. It sounded like fun. Tabby came with me; we opened the back gate of the picket fence and stepped out onto the street. There were boys riding bikes, girls playing hopscotch, children doing the jumping of rope, and so much more. But I knew very little English. Tabby and I just observed them in silent glory. _

_A little while later, a little blonde-haired girl stepped out onto the street. She was maybe about a year older than Tabby—probably nine or ten. For a while, she just stood there. Her head was down. Maybe, just like me, she didn't really fit in. I recognized her as the Utonium's youngest child; I think her name was Bubbles. So for maybe about five minutes, Bubbles didn't play or make any contact with anybody. She looked around once or twice—her eyes met mine for a split second—looking for something to do. A girl invited her to play that game they call hopscotch. As soon as Bubbles started hopping, she tripped. They laughed at her. But she got up and slowly scurried away. Could it be that she didn't want to be like them…full of fun and excitement? I didn't know. _

_We walked just a little bit closer, and then suddenly this boy (who I knew) from my junior high came riding past Tabby and I—were his pedals broken? He was riding too fast. Apparently his target was Bubbles. He shouted something that didn't sound nice. He cornered her and laughed. She screamed at him to stop it, I think. My feet were frozen in place…even though I wanted to tell him to leave her alone. Bubbles started to cry. The other kids just ignored her (I DON'T LIKE THIS AMERICAN SOCIETY) and continued playing. Bubbles ran back into her house with her ears covered. The boy who was riding his bike smiled in victory. Less than a minute later, he was back to riding his back again. But then I got this…I don't know…a headache? Tabby cringed, too. The boy on his bike suddenly wobbled over—he wasn't wearing a helmet—and broke his ankle. Then, like a chain reaction, the other kids went back to their houses, running. They were scared of something. I just don't know what it was._

_I'll never forget that look in Bubbles' eyes. When she had looked at me for that one second, I felt fear. But…I just don't know why…_

**(May 26, 1999. 3:15 AM)**

The five of them drove down Brisk Road in Ace's car. Princess was in the passenger seat; Alexis, Snake, and Big Billy sat—bunched together—in the back. Ace was smoking a cigarette. His eyes never left the road. Alexis was smacking her gum loudly in the back, while Big Billy and Snake admired a dirty magazine that had naked women on every page. Alexis looked at her watch. _Shit, it's late_, she thought. A yawn escaped from her mouth. Princess had been staring out the window for the past twenty minutes. She looked over at her boyfriend.

"How much longer, babe?"

He gritted his teeth, mashing the cigarette. "Damn it, will you just wait a fuckin' second?"

He made a swift turn and then they were going uphill on a dirt road. The sky was cloudless and the moon resembled a giant nightlight. Thirty seconds later, the car passed by a big, old worn-down sign that said: LUMPKINS FARM. TRESPASSERS WILL BE ARRESTED.

"Hey, Princess!" Alexis called from the back. "Are we really going to take a giant risk like this? How will a mug shot look on my college application?"

Princess scoffed. "Since when do you care about education?"

The five teenagers unloaded themselves from Ace's car. It was a bit windy that night, but not even close to chilly. Princess wore a puffy, luxurious coat that her father had bought for her last Christmas; hey, she might as well look the part for this crime. As Big Billy grabbed the axe from the trunk, Snake ran towards the hog pen and fumbled with the latch. After a few shakes, the gate was open. They let themselves in proudly. Ace grabbed the axe from Big Billy and looked around the pen. It was 60" by 85," a pretty damn big pigpen from Ace's perspective. Princess and Alexis exchanged glances as the boys messed around.

"Don't worry," Snake assured everyone. "That old bastard Farmer Lumpkins is at a funeral. He's all the way down in Mississippi."

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Good to know," she said sarcastically. "Can we hurry this up now? I'm fucking tired."

Princess' eyes scanned every pig. _Too small…too skinny…ugly, but not ugly enough…too fat…_ And then she found the right one.

Princess whistled at Ace. "Hey, baby!" she called. "That one!"

Ace looked down; his black shades reached the tip of his nose.

"That one? Babe, you sure? Once I start hackin', I'm not gonna stop."

Princess giggled. "It looks just like Bubbles!"

Alexis smirked. "Yeah…it kinda does."

Ace looked at Snake. "Keep an eye out for anyone, just in case. Big Billy…" He turned his head to face the obese eighteen-year-old. "Go with Snake. If the two of you see something…speak up! Then we'll be outta here."

The two scruffy boys walked out of the pigpen and went to go keep watch. It was already 3:40. Alexis scratched her arms. "Get the fucking job done!" she suddenly screamed. For the past few years, she had suffered from insomnia. She was about to pass out.

Ace looked down at the two hundred and fifty pound pig. He smiled.

"Here piggy! Here pig pig pig!" he chanted. "Little piggy! Little piggy!"

Ace swung the axe. The pig collapsed. Another swing. There was blood this time… Princess just stood there and _watched_. Like Robin had done when they were messing with Bubbles in the locker room. Another swing; it was harder. It could've have been that he was releasing his anger, but Ace would've stopped eventually had it been _that _reason. _This feels good, _he thought. _Here piggy pig pig... _

The animal was decapitated. "Hand me the damn bucket!" Ace hissed. Princess gave him the empty paint bucket that Snake had found in the junkyard. Alexis ran a hand through her hair. "I'm going back to the fuckin' car. See ya!" She left them to do their dirty work. The pig's blood fell quietly into the bucket; filling it all the way to the top. Once Ace has snapped the lid on, Princess wrapped her arms around him.

"Oh, Ace," she whispered, smiling. He looked down at her and gave her a quick kiss. "Okay babe, let's go!"

They were all back in the car again. Alexis had passed out, sleeping like a baby; Snake and Big Billy just sat quietly.

The mission was done.

As the teenagers were driving back into town, Princess looked up at the sky. _Oh, yeah, Bubbles is gonna get it...that bitch...ah hell...I'm tired. _A heavy yawn escaped from her pink lips. Before she fell asleep, Princess rubbed her eyes and said, "Hey, Snake?"

"Yeah?"

"Whose funeral did Farmer Lumpkins go to?"

Snake grinned. "His mother's. She died last week."

Ace snickered. "Really? Jesus Christ...why she must've been older than God!"

The city lights were in their view now. Princess tilted her head back and dozed off. Ace drove steadily. The five of them had no regrets. As if this were a regular thing, Ace smiled to himself in the darkness; his headlights were the only things that gave off that warm feeling..._the feeling..._

Somewhere in the woods, a wolf howled.

**Yay! I'm back...again! THIS STORY IS GETTING MORE EPIC...AND SUSPENSEFUL! And I especially love all of these reviews! WOW! My goal is to get to 90 or 95 before Chapter 13! Review...review...review...YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO. ****BTW: I am accepting entries for the fan art contest NOW!**** You'll have until ****March 22nd!**** Ciao! Oh...and one more thing...they are remaking "Carrie." It's gonna have Chloe Grace Moretz in it, as well as Julianne Moore! I can't wait! It's coming out in October 2013, just in time for Halloween! **

**ANYWAY, I luvs you alls...REVIEW.**

**Bye, until next time! **


	11. The Confrontation

**Chapter Nine: The Confrontation**

Another excerpt from _**The Townsville Tragedy: May 28, 1999**_

_Bubbles Utonium kept a diary for two years, prior to the drastic events. In her diary she used foul language (not much, though), drawings, scribbles, recorded her nightmares and dreams, and much more. Very rarely did she right about her sisters, Blossom and Buttercup. Or, should we say, her _half-sisters_. For years, Bubbles was told by Sarah Bellum, her "dear sweet" mother, that all three of them had the same father, but no. Miss Sarah Bellum is also believed to have had an abortion shortly before Bubbles was conceived. She was, reportedly, "driven mad" by her relationship with the man who was Bubbles' father. Marital rape has been a suggested idea of Bubbles' conception…though nobody has actually _confirmed _such information…and the thing is…nobody can wrap their heads around the idea of _why _Sarah Bellum kept Bubbles. That is, if she _was _actually the product of unwanted sex… _

**(May 26, 1999. 8:45 AM)**

Both women were in the office waiting. Ms. Keane stared at the clock on the wall. _I just hope this ends quickly_, she thought. Mr. Morbucks, one of the top five richest men in the country, was coming to _their _school. Hardly anyone ever saw him in public anymore, so this was a rare occasion. Principal Eisenhower was busy signing a suspension slip for a junior who had just cut his French II class that morning. She noticed Ms. Keane's anxiety and paused on her paperwork. "Is something bothering you, Debra?"

"He'll be here any minute. I'm sweating like a dog."

Eisenhower stood up and walked over to her file cabinet. "Don't be. I've already met him."

"You have?" Ms. Keane was obviously surprised.

Eisenhower grabbed a folder. She hesitated and looked out the giant picture frame window; the blinds were rolled up, exposing what little sunlight that appeared from between the clouds.

"Yes. He was here for Open House Night back in '96. I do believe that Princess was going into her sophomore year."

Ms. Keane walked towards her. "What was it like? You know…_meeting_ him?"

Rita Eisenhower shook her head, chuckling. "Oh, well it was nothing worth fainting over. I was a bit shocked, though. It's not often that a _millionaire _walks into this school…"

Ms. Keane walked back towards her spot. "Do you think he'll bring up a lawsuit?"

Principal Eisenhower took a seat. "I highly doubt it. Besides, if he does, we have strong evidence to use against the case in court."

"But he's one of the richest men in America. I just think that—"

"Debra, he's not Donald Trump. Relax."

_Knock knock_. Both women flinched. "Oh, that's him," Eisenhower said calmly. "Come in, sir."

Jonathan Morbucks was a big man. He stood at 6"5, at two hundred pounds—_bare muscle_. Most people assumed that he had been a weight-lifter in college, but no. Currently, he was engaged to his third fiancée, Nell Piqué, who was a former model from France. (Princess hated her guts.) Ms. Keane wanted so badly to leave…she didn't want to have to stand here and look him in the eye. To have to think: _I slapped this man's daughter…but she was asking for it._

It was only her third year teaching—not at _this_ school, however—and she did not want to be intimidated, let alone reprimanded, by _this _man: Jonathan R. Morbucks.

"Let's get this over with," Morbucks said in his heavy tone. "I have a business meeting to attend in about thirty minutes. Rita, it's _lovely _to see you again." Jonathan looked over at Debra Keane. "Is she the gym teacher?"

Eisenhower cleared her throat. "Hello, Jonathan. And, uh, yes. Please…have a seat."

He sat down in the chair and folded his hands together. "I assume that you know the _reason _why I'm here: my daughter, Princess." Ms. Keane held her hands at her sides. (_Oh, dear, I must look like a deer caught in headlights_.) "At home, Nell and I are…having trouble planning our wedding. It's in July. And Princess has been very stressed out lately."

"What seems to be the problem?"

Jonathan shrugged. "Princess is very—as she has constantly told us—_pissed_. Now, from what I understand, _this _teacher, Debra Keane, slapped my daughter in front of her classmates."

A bird was near the window, chirping. Ms. Keane hesitated to speak. "Your daughter…she addressed me by using the term 'bitch.' And I took matters into my own hands—"

"_You slapped my daughter._"

Ms. Keane held her head down in defeat. The bird flew away. Eisenhower stood up with the folder. "Mr. Morbucks, are you aware of your daughter's _history _at this school?"

Jonathan nibbled on his pinky, like a professional, chuckling. "Excuse me, Rita?'

"This folder holds all the information we have received from Princess's wrongdoings." Rita Eisenhower opened the folder and pulled out numerous sheets. "Attendance: twelve absences this year. Four, of which, were…_intentional_."

"Eisenhower, I do not have to sit here and—"

"Twenty-eight assigned detentions. Three suspensions—two of them were taken care of by you, personally, Mr. Morbucks." Eisenhower walked around to the front of her desk. "Last year, Princess was almost _expelled _when she send around naked pictures of a girl who had called her hair 'greasy.' The girl, who shall remain nameless, was an honor student and had perfect attendance. Of course, those pictures were _fake_…but that girl was nearly driven to suicide."

Jonathan Morbucks was uneasy. "What does this have to do with…?"

"Jonathan, you are aware that Princess and about fifteen of her peers bullied a girl named Bubbles Utonium, right? That they…made fun of her for having her menstrual cycle."

"Excuse me?"

"Bubbles Utonium, age fourteen, was harassed physically _and _verbally on the twenty-third of this month…just a few days ago, to be exact." Eisenhower grinned. "And, well, it only seems _fair _to discipline Princess for talking back to a teacher—especially when she uses a word such as 'bitch.' Do you get what I am saying, Mr. Morbucks?"

His face was red. And he cracked his knuckles. "Listen, Rita. I think I know my own daughter well enough to—"

Ms. Keane couldn't take it anymore. "We know who she goes around with."

Jonathan Morbucks gave her a death glare. "I do beg your pardon?"

"A boy named Ace McGreen, a senior. Princess's boyfriend for the past year, I believe?" Eisenhower said in a matter-of-fact tone. "The both of them were caught making out in the janitor's closet a few weeks ago. If they weren't caught, it certainly would've led to…well; you get the idea, sir."

Mr. Morbucks stood up. "I _do_ get it…you are calling my daughter a slut."

Eisenhower sighed. "I did not say such a thing."

"I do not have time for this, Principal Eisenhower. And you can expect a firm lawsuit—papers and everything—on your desk by Monday morning."

Eisenhower wasn't afraid. She knew she had won this fight. Rita kept a straight face and crossed her arms. "I hope you have a _fantastic_ meeting, Jonathan. Goodbye."

**KAZAAAMMMM! Another chapter has been el-completed. I've been writing this chapter for like an hour or something, because I'm watching TV as well, LOL. ALSO, I AM VERY TIRED BECAUSE IT'S ALMOST 3 IN THE MORNING! Oh, the things I do for you people…BUT IT'S CUZ I LUVS U ALLS! Review! Review! Review! And keep voting for the poll on my profile. It's free. AND SUBMIT YOUR FAN ART NOW! C'MON GUYS…I want to see your drawings! OKAY…to make it more fun (IDK, if I said this already…) choose ANY scene from this story! PLEASE! I really want to see your drawings and art! And remember: Prom Night is almost here! Once again, I own nothing.**

**-Ciao! ;)**


	12. Flashback 3: Telling The Story

**Flashback 3: Telling The Story**

**An article from **_**The Townsville Tabloid**_**, dated May 30, 1999.**

_The events of Friday night have left an impact on our city; or should we say an impact on America! News has spread fast of "The Prom Night Disaster." With the death toll at around five hundred—and the missing person toll still rising—this is being called the worst tragedy in world history. Among the wreckage of bricks, wood, concrete, and debris, bodies are found (mangled and unrecognizable). More than seventy million dollars in damages has been reported and memorials are built among the parts of Townsville that have not been destroyed. Scientists, journalists, philosophers, and reporters from all around the globe are arriving. While this case remains under investigation, and as everyone holds up signs of WHY and HOW, the whereabouts of the main suspect—a girl named Bubbles Utonium—are unsure of. _

**(Present day. March 12, 2013)**

Six teenagers rode the bus from Townsville Central High School. There was Tony, Lucy, Isobel, Marcus, Luke, and Frankie. All of them were juniors. While Lucy and Isobel were messing around with a cootie-catcher, Frankie was reading a History textbook and Marcus was updating his Facebook status, the bus eased to a stop and they all got off; Marcus was the first to hop onto the sidewalk.

The bus drove away and the six of them started walking down the street.

"C'mon!" Marcus yelled in excitement. "I got a new PS3 game!" Luke cheered and Frankie just rolled his eyes. Isobel scoffed, under her breath, "Boys…"

Lucy Sanders was the new kid. She has been living in Townsville for almost three weeks. Yet, despite her social anxiety, she had made five new friends. They told jokes, threw parties, and helped each other on homework.

"Hey," Luke said, grabbing everyone's attention. "Let's go down Chester Street. It's only about two blocks away."

Isobel shook her head. "No way, let's just go on to Marcus' house."

Frankie closed his textbook. "Luke…did you say _Chester _Street…as in…where _she _lived?"

They all went silent. Lucy flipped back some of her sandy-blonde hair. "What is it?"

Luke squinted. "Oh yeah, you're new in town. I forgot. Anyway, we're talking about _Bubbles Utonium_…you know…the Prom Night Disaster? Black Prom? Haven't you heard, Lucy?"

She thought about it for a moment. "No. I haven't heard of it. Why?"

Isobel shrugged. "Well, first of all, you're from England so that's probably why."

Frankie put his textbook in his backpack and took off his glasses to clean them. "The so-called 'Prom Night Disaster' has been the biggest worldwide tragedy in the past twenty years. Everyone knows about it. But I guess your parents are hiding something from you…"

Lucy bit her lower lip. "Uh…"

Marcus took off his white baseball cap and began tossing it a few times up in the air. "Here's the story, Luce. You see, in 1999 there was this family—"

Luke said, "Of religious nuts."

"—who worshipped Jesus every chance they got."

Frankie sighed. "Incorrect. Only the _mother _was a religious psycho…"

Marcus continued as if nothing happened. "Anyway, there was the father, the mother, and the three daughters. Of course, they looked normal…but oh no! They were down-to-Earth Christians at heart. They prayed every second of every day. Quoting random things from the Bible…"

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "So? Maybe they just respected their religion too much."

Luke chuckled. "Yeah right; c'mon, Lucy, they were _wackos_…the only normal ones were the two eldest daughters, Blossom and Buttercup."

Isobel popped a piece of chewing gum into her mouth. "What about the youngest one?"

"Bubbles, you mean?" Marcus said. "Maybe…nobody knows for sure. But a ton of people say that she was brainwashed by her mother. 'Bubbles, respect Jesus' or 'Pray your sins away, child,' and all that random shit."

Lucy shook her hands, obviously impatient. "Just tell me what happened!"

"Okay, okay, just chill, Luce." He thought for a moment. "Oh, yeah, so the Utonium family…they stood out from every other family in this town. They were well known…just not in the _good_ way. Bad reputation and all that…"

Storm clouds rolled together in the distance. "But now Bubbles Utonium was the real deal. Ever since she started school, she was treated like crap. Everybody made fun of her. Heck, in preschool she always thanked God for blessing her with graham crackers and milk during snack time!" Thunder slightly echoed in the background, but Marcus went on.

"By the time Bubbles entered high school she was number one on everybody's Joke List. She was tripped and pushed in the lunch line. Hate notes stapled to her locker…it just goes on and on, Lucy!"

They were getting closer to Marcus' house, and they could seek refuge for the upcoming storm. Lucy listened to the story and soon found herself engrossed in every detail. She couldn't pull away.

"So one day someone thought it would be a real hoot to pull a prank on Bubbles at the Senior Prom. Even though she was a freshman, she went anyway—and I do believe her date was a freshman as well…hey, what was his name…Brody? Or was it Brandon? Maybe Boomer? Well, it started off as a great night. The fourteen-year-old laughing-stock was suddenly the Disney princess come to life! For just that _one _night…she had it all."

The first few raindrops fell and they all began to walk faster.

"Apparently the votes for Prom King and Queen were rigged; that's the only reason Bubbles and her date won. They walked up to that stage in glory. Everybody was cheering and clapping. Bubbles was given a diamond tiara and a handful of roses. Some say she was in awe; she looked absolutely stunned…others say she was…for once…just _beautiful_…"

The teenagers were getting closer to Marcus' house and the rain was starting to fall harder.

"This girl named Princess Morbucks had set up a bucket of pig's blood…and _bleach_. Right on the spot were Bubbles was standing, and when the time was right—WOOSH! All of that sticky shit was dumped on the both of them, but Bubbles was drenched—she got it the worst."

A bit of lightning flashed.

"Now, apparently this prank was supposed to be funny"—they reached the doorstep of Marcus' house—"but nobody was laughing when it was put into action. Everyone was just _shocked_." Marcus McKinley opened the door and the six of them walked into the toasty warm, two-story brick house. "Princess went _too far _on this one…nobody knew how to react. They were just all like 'Oh my God, no!' and 'Holy shit!' and everything. It spiraled downwards then and there."

Lucy sat on the sofa. "What…what do you mean, Marcus?"

Isobel interrupted. "Pure hell broke loose."

"Huh?"

Frankie interjected. "What happened next was crazy. The bucket fell and Bubbles' date was knocked unconscious or something. Everyone was just standing there in that gymnasium, looking flat out stupid. 'Help him!' Bubbles screamed, even though _she _was the one soaked in pig's blood. She collapsed onto her knees, grabbing on to her date. She started sobbing."

Lucy listened carefully. She tried playing the story in her head, as if to make it into a movie.

"No one moved. Not even the teachers. Suddenly, Bubbles threw her head back and screamed: 'NOOOOOO!' It could've been all that bleach peeling her skin away—all of that _tingling_—and she was in pain. Or perhaps she was rocked by her prom date's situation…who knows for sure? Then, in the blink of an eye, it all went to hell from there—"

Lucy covered her ears. "I don't want to hear this anymore! Stop!"

Luke tilted his head to the side. "Don't you want to know how it ends?"

"I'd rather watch a fucking movie about it!" Lucy spat.

Marcus chuckled. "How ironic, Luce."

"What—?"

Marcus went to cabinet of DVDs and pulled out a film that said **THE BLOODY PROM QUEEN**. Lucy was confused. "Did they…make a movie about the whole damn thing?"

Marcus smiled. "Welcome to Townsville."

**YAY! I'M BACK ONCE AGAIN! AND I AM ON A ROLL! C'MON! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! (PS—I have extended the Fan Art Contest! Please guys! Just submit something!) Anyway, my lovely peeps, BlossomXBrick will be coming up very soon, and so will prom night! Not to mention some more Butch and Buttercup! REVIEW! See ya until then! **


	13. Everything's Ready

**Chapter Ten: Everything's Ready**

A section from a newly published book, _Fourteen: Revenge, Love, and Tragedy_; Copyright March 2012, Wet Seal Paperbacks, Chicago, Illinois. Written by Samuel Plaza.

_After visiting Bernfield, Massachusetts and Boulder, Colorado, both of which are places that Miss Sarah Bellum grew up in, I conducted multiple interviews and even visited the first recreation center that Sarah worked at as a fourteen-year-old girl herself: Holy Commune, Witnesses For Christ. I had a conversation with Miriam P. Rogers, who was the Youth Group activities administrator for over fifty years at the center. Mrs. Rogers has been a resident of Massachusetts for her entire life. At age 89, this woman is still alive and well._

_Mrs. Rogers sat down with me in her office. She offered me a piece of hard candy, to which I greatly accepted. She was messing with her purple sleeves as we conversated._

_I said, "What was Sarah Bellum like?"_

_She knew immediately. After all, _who _could forget someone like Sarah?_

"_She was a sweet girl when I first met her. She must've been seven or eight when _her _Mama first brought her here. Sarah looked like a darling. She had long, brown braids and the cutest yellow jumper I had ever seen."_

"_Did you know anything about her home life?" I asked carefully._

_Mrs. Rogers looked at me with wide eyes. "Oh, yes indeed. Her father was a drunk. He beat them both for Sarah's mother was three months pregnant, she suffered a miscarriage because Emmett beat the snot out of her. Since then, Sarah was an only child."_

"_When did her father die?" As if I already knew the answer._

"_Sarah was twelve. And he drunk himself to death. Alcohol poisoning, the doctors told Mrs. Bellum. She and her child withdrew after that—I mean, they weren't very _social _afterwards. I think that they probably thought God would help them. Who knows? Sarah stopped attending this center for a while. She came back when she was almost fifteen…"_

_I was writing everything down as fast as I could. "Is it true that Mrs. Katherine Bellum died a few months later in a car accident?"_

"_Yes, sir. Her mother was a nice lady. Never raised her voice at all. But Sarah was a wreck after that. She hung out with the wrong crowds, and she even tried to experiment with Satan."_

"_Who took her in?"_

"_Her grandmother, Silvia Erickson."_

"_Was she very religious?"_

"_Quite. I think every word in the Bible got into Sarah's head when she started living with Silvia. There were strict rules in that house. Sarah was only allowed to watch programs about church or documentaries about Moses, I'm sure something like that. Silvia hired a private tutor, who was also a former minister. Sarah never had any real friends from there on…it's very sad, actually." Mrs. Rogers looks away for a moment. "Poor Sarah."_

_My interview continued for another forty minutes. _

"_When did Silvia Erickson relocate to Boulder, Colorado?"_

"_Sarah was seventeen, I think. I heard that's when she met…well, you know…the man she had her first two children with…"_

_I left the building with my notebook._

**(May 27, 1999)**

Everything was ready. They had arrived earlier that morning and had set up the bucket in the exact position where the King and Queen would stand on the stage. The sun covered every inch of the ground and beamed through the windshield.

Princess sat in the car with Ace, who was smoking a cigarette. It was the lunch period and while everyone else was either in the courtyard or the cafeteria, they were drawn away in Ace's 1986 Chevy he had borrowed from his dad. Princess was slowly eating her ramen.

"Something the matter, babe?" Ace asked, not even looking at her.

She hesisted. _What will he think? I'm a wuss? A fake? No, I… _Princess took another bite. "Nothing, Ace, it's just…what we're going to do tomorrow night—"

He nearly choked on his cigarette. "You mean what _you're _going to do tomorrow night."

"Huh?" She was honestly confused.

Ace looked at his red-haired girlfriend. "Baby, _you _are gonna pull that rope." She froze. They just stared at each other as a minute ticked by. "What? Are you chicken?"

She shook her head. "Fuck no. It's just—"

"You don't wanna get down and dirty? Even though we do that all the time in the backseat?"

Princess was furious. "No, you stupid shit. It's…well…Jesus! We might get fucking _arrested_. Or Snake or Big Billy might rat on us or…"

He silenced her with a kiss. "It'll go as planned. Trust me." His breath smelled of ash and tar.

She looked at him for a moment. A grin creeped up. "You're right."

**(Ms. Keane's Office, Gymnasium. 1:00 PM)**

The two boys sat in front of the young woman.

"Well?" she asked them.

Butch scratched the back of his head. "Well what?"

Debra Keane walked around her desk to get closer. "I want to know why Boomer asked Bubbles Utonium to the prom. If this is a trick, so help me—"

Boomer interrupted. "It's not a trick, ma'am."

"Oh really?" She didn't buy it. Boomer had a clean record. The only bad thing he had ever done was start a food fight after losing a bet with a jock. "I don't believe a single word of it."

Butch rolled his eyes. "Miss Keane, this is between Boomer and I so if you would just kindly…"

"Kindly what?"

Butch closed his mouth. "Nothing."

The clock on the wall was broken and Butch thought he was going to be late for Trigometry, which was awkward…considering he didn't really care for his classes most of the time. The two brothers were burning up in that small office. A fly zoomed by Boomer's ear.

Ms. Keane held her clipboard close to her chest. "Why?" Silence just filled the room; neither brother would open his mouth. "Why ask Bubbles to the prom?"

Boomer looked down at the floor. "I…have a thing for her."

"Could you repeat that please, Boomer?"

"I kind of like her!" Boomer half-shouted. "So…Butch convinced me to ask her to the prom. Bubbles said no at first, but then she agreed to. It made her feel good inside, I guess."

Ms. Keane shook her head. "Really Boomer? I mean, the _prom_…of all things?"

He looked away. "Pretty much." Butch was still staring at the clock.

When it was 1:07 Ms. Keane finally said, "All right, fine."

Both brothers looked up at the gym teacher.

"I can't stop you from going to the prom, but I _can _make sure that you don't hurt Bubbles Utonium any more…"

"We never did!" Butch shouted.

Ms. Keane raised an eyebrow. "Watch your tone, Jojo. Now, the both of you, get to class."

The freshman and junior walked out of her office and across the gym. Butch turned his head up towards the rafters that were above the stage. Just as they were about to walk out—

_(And the winners are…Boomer Jojo and Bubbles Utonium!)_

Butch shook his head. Boomer noticed this and said, "What's wrong, bro?" Butch walked out into the hallway and spat, "Nothing. Just get to class."

**(Later that afternoon…)**

Bubbles was so close to being finished with the dress. She had everything else ready, though. _I'll get Blossom to do my hair, _she decided. _Buttercup will help me with makeup…_

She heard Mama Bellum. Downstairs. Praying as loud as she could. _"For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death…"_

Bubbles tried to block out the sound. (_MAMA, BE QUIET! JUST STOP!) _The hairbush on her dresser slid off with warning. But Mama Bellum just kept going—

"_And the __Lord__ was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart."_

Bubbles messed up a bit on her stitching; it was barely noticeable. _(GOODNESS, MAMA! STOP PRAYING! STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT…) _Her jewelry box began to shake. It flew open and bits of beads began flying out onto the wooden floor. A pearl necklace hit the wall, and Bubbles tried to relax. But the words…they just wouldn't stop…

"_If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness—"_

She stopped working. "Mama! Shut up!" _(I MEAN IT, IF SHE DOESN'T STOP RIGHT NOW I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL…)_

"_Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."_

Her window flew down with a _THUD!_ and the blinds followed. She was angry.

"Mama! Please! Shut up!" _(OH SHE WON'T STOP! SHE'LL JUST GO ON AND ON AND—)_

"_And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."_

_(!BVBVBOGORGBNVQPOEOPIQIIUFHGVNNONV—IOGH OHEHT HTHT BFB!) _Her mind was out of control. Every letter was crammed into her skull. Random words came in and out. Mama just wouldn't _stop. _

She gathered all of senses and concentrated lightly.

The door slammed shut.

**BWAAAA HAAA HAAA! Yes! I am returning more often mother-honkers! Enjoy it. Yes…ENJOY IT! Anyways…review! REVIEW! REVIEW! If you don't I will steal every cookie from every baby! (0_0) Oh yes I will! C'mon JUST REVIEW! I will be very very very very very very very very very very very very sad if you don't! I PROMISE…Brick and Blossom are coming up in DEFINITELY the next chapter. You just gotta wait a bit! Any who….I am also accepting any ideas for the future. And I am STILL waiting for entrees for the Fan Art Contest! (Please! Guys, just submit SOMETHING!) –Ciao! **


	14. 911 Calls: Part I

**911 Calls: Part I**

_MAY 28, 1999_

**911 Call: Miriam Holloway, 282 Plaza Pines**

**Operator:** 911, what's your emergency?

**Holloway:** Uh…_[inaudible]_…my house is shaking—_[static]_

**Operator:** Your house is…_shaking?_

**Holloway:** …_[static]_…I saw a girl outside…

**Operator:** Wait, ma'am, you said your house was shaking—?

**Holloway:** Yes. My house was shaking…and I was standing by the windows in the living room. And the next thing I knew…my windows broke _[static]_.

**Operator:** Your windows just…broke?

**Holloway:** Pretty much.

**Operator:** And you said you saw a girl. Did she…throw something at your window—?

**Holloway:** No. No. I saw the girl…_[pause]_

**Operator:** Ma'am? Is something wrong?

**Holloway:** _[inaudible]_ I hear sirens…Oh my god…oh my god…_[static]_

**Operator:** What's going on?

**Holloway:** _[scared]_ I have to put the phone down.

**Operator:** Stay on the line with me—!

**Holloway:** Something's wrong! Something's wrong!

_(Mrs. Holloway, age 63, disconnected for reasons unknown. She was later found on Pecan Street, two miles away, with a broken leg. She was one of many to be injured in the Townsville Tragedy.)_

**911 Call: Emily Doe, McDonald's Employee; Sycamore Boulevard **

**Operator:** 911?

**Doe:** Yes. I'm at the McDonald's on Sycamore Boulevard, and…we have…people down.

**Operator:** What? You said…you have…_people down?_

**Doe:** Uh huh. They… _[inaudible]_ Oh god, they just, like, collapsed.

**Operator:** How many people collapsed?

**Doe:** I don't know—like fifteen or something?

**Operator:** Okay, we are sending paramedics.

**Doe:** It's a huge mess over here. _[static]_ We have a huge situation over here, you need to hurry! There's children crying for their mothers and one man isn't moving—!

**Operator:** I'm…I'm doing everything I can, you need to stay calm, ma'am.

**Doe:** My manager is on the floor as well…oh god _[sobs]_…only a few of them are moving…

**Operator:** Do you know how they collapsed?

**Doe:** _[panicked tone]_ Uh…I thought _[sobs]_ it was a gas leak or something…but I didn't smell any gas—and they next thing I knew it was like every customer in the restaurant was having a seizure!

**Operator:** What's your name sweetie?

**Doe:**…_[crying]_ My name is Emily….I'm so scared!

**Operator:** Emily, where are you now?

**Doe:** I'm—right outside of the McDonald's _[inaudible]_

**Operator:** Are there any other employees inside?

**Doe:** Yeah, like, two…_[pause]_

**Operator:** Emily? What's going on?

**Doe:** I see someone. I can't tell who it is…I think it's a girl…_[inaudible] _

**Operator:** The paramedics are close—

**Doe:** Yeah. I can…hear the sirens.

_(By now Emily Doe has stopped crying. The operator tries to get her attention for the next minute, but Emily takes a while to respond.)_

**Operator:** Emily?

**Doe:**…I'm still here _[inaudible]_ She looks so beautiful tonight…

**Operator:** What are you talking about?

**Doe:** The girl.

**Operator:** What girl?

**Doe:**…_[screams]_

**Operator:** Emily!

**Doe:** _[glass shattering]_ OH GOD—_[inaudible voices from a distance] _

_(The operator loses the signal and Emily Doe does, age 19, not call 911 again; her body was found early the next morning, through the wreckage of what was left of the McDonald's on Sycamore Boulevard. Cause of death was unknown.)_

**911 Call: Aaron Aretino; Aaron's Motor Shop, 3114 Opal Street **

**Operator: **911 Emergency.

**Aretino:** I need you to get the cops down here! There's some looney little bitch messin' up the street!

**Operator:** Excuse me?

**Aretino:** Things are flyin' and my tires are just fallin' off of the racks by themselves. Things are getting f***ed up!

**Operator:** Things are flying?

**Aretino:** Hell yeah! My son went outside to see what was happenin' and the next thing I knew he was a mindless f***ing zombie! [static]

**Operator:** Sir, I need you to calm down!

**Aretino:** I've been tryin' to calm down for the last thirty f***ing minutes! AND NO ONE IS PICKING UP THE DAMN PHONE WHEN I CALL THE POLICE STATION!

**Operator:** Sir, we have…received multiple 911 calls of strange things happening. And everyone has reported a girl in a dress.

**Aretino:** _[static]_ Girl in a dress? I know nuthin' 'bout that sh*t!

**Operator:** Where is your son now?

**Aretino:** Still outside. I've screamed "Michael!" like eighty f***ing times! He's a zombie. Completely lifeless. I'm 'bout to slap 'im in the damn face! _[inaudible background noise]_

_(Suddenly, Aretino goes quiet. What sounds like a conversation background goes on for nearly three minutes.)_

**Aretino:** _[calm]_ I have to go—

**Operator:** Sir?

**Aretino:** She's coming. And my whole shop's 'bout to collapse…_[hangs up phone]_

_(Aaron Aretino, age 48, and his son Michael, age 22, are never heard from or seen again. What's left of Aaron's Motor Shop is nothing but rubble, tires, and piles of bricks and cement. Michael's baseball cap—the New York Yankees—would later be put on display at the memorial museum four years later. Blood was found on the edge of the cap. DNA tests determined that it wasn't Michael's blood…but…pig's blood.) _


End file.
